


Reproducer Zim

by SpyroForLife



Category: Invader Zim
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blow Jobs, Breeding, Cunnilingus, Dirty Talk, Dubious Consent, Egg Laying, Explicit Sexual Content, Face-Sitting, Fingering, First Time, Frottage, Grinding, Hand Jobs, Irken Dib (Invader Zim), M/M, Masturbation, Mating Bond, Morning Sex, Mutual Masturbation, Oral Sex, Original Character(s), Webcam/Video Chat Sex, bottom zim, top dib
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:01:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 80,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25928566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpyroForLife/pseuds/SpyroForLife
Summary: After the disastrous failure of Operation Impending Doom, Zim is sentenced to be reassigned from military duty to a job he will be unable to fail at. A job where he will no longer be capable of threatening Irk or anyone around him. A job where he can finally start replacing the many irken lives that have been lost because of him.The job of Reproducer.
Relationships: Dib/Zim (Invader Zim)
Comments: 143
Kudos: 313





	1. The Reassignment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is something I've been working on for a while and decided to finally start posting. It's going to be very self-indulgent but I hope you enjoy the storyline I've written. The dubious consent tag applies solely to the first chapter for a Zim/OC scene, after this one everything is fully consensual.

It was a pretty bad situation, but Zim supposed it could be worse. Oh yes, it could definitely be worse. He's seen other soldiers imprisoned or executed for less. But it seemed the Empire has acknowledged his talent and his potential and has chosen to give him another chance to prove himself. He just had to get through one unpleasant conversation with the Control Brains, which will likely be a thorough ass-chewing (he was no stranger to those), and then he’ll be reassigned to a new job in a completely different sector.

It was supremely disappointing, he had been determined to become Irk’s best Invader, but fine. This was where his military career ended. He had a good run. He had plenty of successful missions. Sure, there were also lots of mistakes and unnecessary casualties, but things happened and perhaps if he had more competent comrades things would have been different. But this hearing wasn't about them, right now it was about him.

Zim maintained a professional bearing as the Control Brains reamed him for delaying Operation Impending Doom. It would take months to replace the Invaders he had killed. To say nothing of all the labor that would go into replacing and fixing all the military assets he destroyed.

“You will be re-encoded,” the Brains declared at last. Zim hadn’t been given an opportunity to defend any of his actions. He hadn’t expected one. There were plenty of witnesses to what happened. He had already told his side of the story to his superiors and the Tallest anyway. But the Brains had the final word on his punishment.

Zim stood at attention but was quickly jerked out of it by a cable coming down and plugging into his PAK with enough force to knock him from the platform he stood on. He grunted and went slightly limp as he was lifted right in front of the many glass eyes of the central Brain. He felt the cold disapproval of the mechanical beings, along with a chilling flow of energy from them to his PAK.

“No longer an Invader, you will be assigned to replacing the many irken lives you've destroyed over the years… as a Reproducer,” the deep voices intoned.

Zim straightened, head whipping over to look at the nearest screen as the military logo, the symbol of his profession, changed into that of an egg with antennae. “What?!” His bearing broke, a mortified expression crossing his face. “Oh, wise Brains, isn’t there any other function I could have? I’m a great cook, haha, and I can clean like no one’s business…”

He let out another grunt as he was thrown roughly back onto the platform, the cable detaching from him.

“Our decision is final. This is a job you will be unable to fail at. You will serve your empire well, Reproducer Zim.”

Zim shuddered at the title.

“If you are brought before us again under these same circumstances, we will not be so merciful.” With that, the Brains fell silent and the glow dimmed from their eyes. He pushed himself up onto his knees and sat there, staring into nothing as he tried to process this. Of all the duties he could have received…

Red let out a whistle. “Well. Reproducer. Was not expecting that.”

“Hopefully whatever’s wrong with him isn’t genetic,” Purple said.

“Yeah. Insanity aside, he’s not bad-looking. He’s pretty strong for his size, clever… durable. He’s got good genes.”

“Mhm. Well, let’s get a guard to escort him to his new assignment.”

Zim looked up as Red and Purple hovered down from the platforms they had stood on. He slowly got to his feet, trying not to shake. “My Tallest, is this… a difficult job?”

“Not at all,” Red replied. “In fact it has a lot of perks! Lots of food, very good medical services, nice housing… I mean, you’re going to be responsible for bringing about new generations of smeets to serve the empire! It’s a huge honor. So you'll get some pretty cozy treatment. Not that you deserve it, but still, maybe you'll redeem yourself in this role.”

“Really the only downside is you better get used to laying eggs a lot,” Purple added.

Zim swallowed. “So uh. You think I’ll be a dam?”

“Well duh, who’s going to let a Shorter like you be a sire? Haha, no way. You’re absolutely going to be a dam.” Purple waved a guard over. “You better not screw this one up.”

“Of course not,” Zim replied. This was not the kind of job he had wanted, but he was going to do his best anyway. It was honorable. But it was also scary to think about.

The guard took him by the arm and led him away. He didn’t put up any fight, saying goodbye to his Tallest and walking with as much confidence as he could muster.

He was taken to a transport ship that flew him from Judgementia back to Irk. The trip didn’t take long and all the logistics of his reassignment were taken care of along the way. He was assigned to a specific reproduction facility and was already being waited on by the time the ship arrived.

Zim was annoyed that the guard kept a grip on his arm on the way outside, but luckily the two people that greeted him outside the facility seemed polite.

“Zim!” the taller employee said. “How nice to have you here, we’ve been needing a new Reproducer. I’m Kilo, the manager of this facility. This here is Jaz, my second in command. She maintains the schedule of everyone assigned here and makes sure all our Reproducers perform their duties during the best possible time to produce healthy, bountiful litters. So, how much do you know about this job?”

Zim made a face and his guard gave him a jab to prompt him to speak. “It’s pretty straightforward. The Empire needs a steady birth rate. Reproducers provide smeets. A sire is matched to a dam because consistent matches ensure higher fertility, mating occurs until the dam’s eggs are fertilized, and they lay them after a few days. Eggs are taken to a different facility to be incubated and hatched and the smeets are given PAKs and assigned functions. After a recovery period, the dam begins mating again.”

“That’s a pretty accurate summary.” Kilo motioned to the guard. “You can head out, we can take him from here.”

“Sir, it’s my duty to inform you this individual is ex-military and very dangerous,” the guard replied.

“Ah, we’ve reviewed his files, he’s not too dangerous. Reckless, perhaps, but he has a drive to serve his empire and we can use that. Trust me, we can handle him. You’re dismissed.”

The guard let go of Zim and walked away.

Kilo and Jaz waited until the guard was back in the ship and leaving, then Jaz groaned and covered her face. “Ugh, can’t believe this is what we’re going to have to deal with…”

Kilo turned to her, grasping her shoulder. “Now, Jaz, don’t be rude to our new employee.”

“I’m sorry, but this!” Jaz pointed at Zim with a scowl, “Is gonna be a nightmare! This is _Zim._ He’s single-handedly caused our race more trouble than any alien species we’ve gone to war with! He’s worse than a plague! You saw what he did at the beginning of Operation Impending Doom! And we have to match a sire to him?”

Zim growled. “Well it’s not like I want to do this job either!”

“Regardless, you were assigned to us,” Kilo said firmly. “So, Jaz, we will match him. You know we have a sire who’s been waiting.”

“Yeah and we know how awkward he is… watch him refuse.”

“He won’t refuse. And Zim.” Kilo gave Zim a piercing look. He had crimson eyes, Zim noted. Quite a rare color. “You’ve been given another chance to serve your empire. So I expect you to be on your best behavior. Now come along, I’ll give you the tour.”

Zim sighed and followed him inside. Jaz trailed along toward the side, mumbling to herself as she worked on a tablet, seemingly organizing something.

The facility seemed nice. It was spacious and had lots of windows. There were only a couple floors but it sprawled out rather far. There were plenty of elevators.

Kilo explained that there were two halves to the building, and on the second floor of each half, the sires and dams were housed separately from each other. When in their recovery time or waiting to lay eggs, the dams were free to relax, entertain themselves, visit the various restaurants, and otherwise pass their time. Likewise, the sires could also pursue leisure activities when waiting to mate again. But this was all done in their own halves of the building. They did not see their partners outside of mating.

“Seems lonely,” Zim commented.

“It’s not lonely at all, the dams can all hang out with each other, there’s plenty of common areas,” Kilo explained. “Same with the sires, they’ve got plenty of friends. Now, the first floor…”

He went on to explain that the first floor was where medical facilities and administrative offices were. Eggs were taken down there to be examined, labeled, and put into special incubator tubes to be sent to hatching facilities. The first floor was also where supplies came in for the inhabitants of the building.

There was also a small field outside the building on either side, with flowers and benches if one wanted to take a walk and get some fresh air.

Zim didn’t really see many people as they walked around, though. Mostly he saw employees, identifiable by their lilac coats that looked somewhat like scrubs.

When he brought this up, Kilo said that they had done most of their walking up until now through administrative areas. Now he would take Zim to see the dam side of the building and show him his room.

Jaz ended up stepping away to go back to her office, leaving Kilo and Zim to walk alone.

“Jaz seems stressed,” Zim commented once far enough away.

“Managing the schedule is a difficult task,” Kilo replied. “She has a lot on her mind at all times. But she does very good work.”

“I see. It’s good you have her, then.”

“Yeah, we’d be in hot water without her. So, let’s go up to the second floor…”

They got in an elevator and went up. They were near the center of the building, which seemed to be a neutral area.

“The tiles on the floor tell you which half you’re in,” Kilo said, gesturing. “This white means you’re in the transition area, where you can get down to the first floor. To this side, the green? This is the dam side. And over here, where you see pink? Sires.”

“I see.” Zim nodded as he looked between the areas. They were identical from what he could see, besides the floor.

“The white zone is also where the meeting rooms are,” Kilo said. “They’re pretty simple. Each is identical though you’ll be assigned the same one most of the time for consistency. You and your sire will be told to meet, you’ll go to your room, mate, and stay there until you are with eggs. Then you separate to your respective housing units. There’s a door on each side for this. Let me show you.” He stepped over toward the green side of the building and led Zim down a hallway.

This seemed straightforward but Zim was nonetheless nervous. Meeting and mating with some stranger? Producing eggs? It seemed so foreign.

“Out of curiosity, I was told that as a military irken, I was sterile,” Zim said. “Can I even produce eggs?”

“When you had your military assignment, you were sterile. Your PAK would have prevented ovulation and kept your sex hormones too low for you to notice them. But now that you’ve been re-encoded to be a Reproducer, your PAK will be allowing you to become fertile. Your hormones will build up to their natural levels. Though you may need a few days to fully adjust. Your body will feel very… new to you, no doubt.”

Zim scoffed. “I doubt it’ll be that much of a change.”

“You’d be surprised.” Kilo showed him one of the meeting rooms. “Here, see? These are all numbered. When you get a number, you go in and meet your partner.” He opened the door. It led into a small but cozy bedroom. There was a circular bed with plush covers in the center. Another door was on the opposite side of the room. “These rooms are monitored to make sure your partner doesn’t abuse you. Just video during normal activities, we don’t listen to anything you’re saying unless we have reason to.”

“What?!” Zim’s antennae jolted up. “You mean not only do I have to mate, I’m gonna be watched?!”

“It’s for the safety of all our Reproducers. Especially newcomers. But once we know you and your partner are getting along, we won’t watch you the entire time. We tend to just have some techs flip through the different rooms every so often, make sure things are proceeding smoothly. Trust me, you won’t even notice the cameras.”

Zim gave the room a suspicious examination and couldn’t find any cameras. Still, he didn’t like the thought of being watched.

Kilo hummed and invited him in, closing the door behind him. “So, do you have any experience?”

“What? In mating? Ugh, no, irken soldiers are far too busy for such things.”

“True but I know some of you would experiment when you got the chance. Maybe not you specifically but you aren’t the first ex-military we’ve gotten. But alright, you’re inexperienced then. In that case, I’ll show you what you’ll be expected to do.”

“I think it’s pretty clear,” Zim muttered.

Kilo walked behind him and gave him a push toward the bed. “I always give newcomers a hands on demonstration.”

Zim hesitated, turning to face the other. “Isn’t there an online training or something I could do instead?”

“Relax, this is the best way for you to learn. Some things just can’t be learned through a computer screen.” Kilo kept encouraging him toward the bed, but there was a certain firmness about his pushes, an assertiveness that Zim found difficult to refuse.

Next thing Zim knew, he was falling onto his butt on the bed, and he had to throw his elbows out to catch himself.

He shifted and tried to sit up, only for Kilo to move between his knees, one hand coming down on his chest and holding him there, the other hand going to Zim’s leg. He caressed down it until he reached his boot, which he unzipped and then tugged off.

Zim’s heart started beating hard, claws clenching. “What are you doing?”

“You’ll need to be undressed for this,” Kilo said casually as he pulled Zim’s other boot off, dropping both to the floor. “When it’s that time, you’ll come here in one of the robes you will be provided. Your sire will have one too. Once in here, you will both disrobe.” He swiftly unfastened Zim’s pants and pulled them down and off. “Though for the sake of our demonstration here, we’ll only partly undress.” His hands went to his own fly, unzipping and opening it.

Zim almost wanted to crawl backward away from the flushed red appendage that stretched out, its tip leaking pearly liquid and seeming to reach for him. “H-hey, this is… this really isn’t necessary,” he stammered, muscles tensing as he considered bolting for the door.

“You deserve to have a practice session before you meet your sire,” Kilo said, voice still chipper and informative, but Zim didn’t miss the devious glint in his eyes. The taller pulled him closer by the hips and Zim bit his lip as warm flesh dragged between his legs, stroking against a spot that was far more sensitive than he expected. He trembled, mewling softly when the other’s tip probed against him.

“Sir,” Zim said nervously, continuing to clench the bedspread. It felt hard to breathe suddenly.

“You want to be well-experienced to please your future mate, right?” Kilo said in a low voice. He waited, one antenna perked, for an answer.

Zim swallowed and took a few moments to get his breathing under control and tell himself to relax. This was his duty now. He was a Reproducer. He wanted to be a good one. “I do.”

“Then let me teach you.” Kilo held Zim steady and thrust into him.

“Ah!” A surprised gasp escaped him and he found his body bowing up, following the pull of Kilo's claws in his hips. It was like nothing he’s ever experienced. It was hot and rough and frightening, oddly pleasant but too nauseating for him to truly enjoy it. He kept his eyes shut, telling himself it was just nerves and he’ll get used to this, but it still made him feel violated in a way he didn't quite have words for.

“That's it, something tells me you'll be a fast learner... now listen up.” Kilo didn’t seem to notice his discomfort, or if he did, he didn’t care. He kept a calm tone as he coached Zim on what to do. There were a lot of little things. Stay relaxed. Moan if it felt good. Keep his antennae down and his chin back to show submission. Thighs apart, but his ankles could go behind his partner’s back if he desired.

Zim ended up slipping into a kind of daze partway through the lesson, an unfamiliar sensation overtaking his body and blanking out his thoughts. His body seemed to move of its own accord into the other’s thrusts, and Kilo told him he was doing great, he learned fast, this was all he needed to do when he met his sire.

Zim wasn’t sure what he said in response. Maybe he didn’t say anything. He was fading out. He just listened to what the other was saying, the words blending into a sort of drone, all while those steady movements inside him seemed to push him closer and closer to... he wasn't sure. But it felt like it was all drawing toward a peak. There had to be a resolution to this, right? He felt so hot, he could feel himself tensing, how much longer did it take?

“Stop holding back, I know you’re close, just let go,” Kilo ordered, moving a hand down between Zim’s legs to slip a couple fingers into his sheath and stroke along his retracted phallus.

That touch sent a current of pleasure through Zim’s body and he convulsed, crying out as he found himself suddenly consumed with an unfamiliar ecstasy.

“Aah!” Zim writhed underneath the other and Kilo moaned, finishing inside him. Zim bucked at the feel of cum filling him up, hips rocking into Kilo’s a few more times to keep him in place, before finally relaxing, panting as the fog in his mind started clearing.

“That’s it. And that is what you’ll do with your sire. Very good.” Kilo pulled out, taking a cloth out of his pocket and cleaning himself up before sheathing himself once more. He looked at Zim as he pulled his pants up and tilted his head when he saw him still laying there, eyes half-lidded and wet. “Zim?”

Zim gave himself a shake, suddenly feeling very sick and distraught. “Is it over?”

“Yes, you seemed to pick up what you needed to do as well as any of our other dams. So now… are you okay?”

Zim felt over parts of his body, breathing hard. He didn’t know how to explain what he was feeling right now. He just felt wrong. Tears started spilling down his cheeks and he covered his face as he tried to hide them. “Of course! I’m fine!” he shouted. His voice choked up, betraying his humiliation.

“You don’t seem fine. Talk to me. I can’t help unless I know what’s wrong. Did it hurt?”

Zim shook his head. There was no physical pain. “I don’t know why I’m crying!” he yelled in frustration. “I just feel sick and horrible all of a sudden!”

“I see.” Kilo used his cloth to clean Zim up some too, then fixed his clothing for him. “That’s normal. You just need some time to adjust. Mating can be pretty nerve-wracking the first time you do it. Best to get past this stage with me, and then you can please your sire without feeling bad. The better you both feel, the better your litter will be.”

Zim wiped his eyes off and gave Kilo a curious look. “So it… it normally feels weird and gross at first?”

“Of course. This is very new to you, you were raised military, probably didn’t get a whole lot of physical contact that wasn’t torture. So this is just something you’ll have to get used to. But the hard part is out of the way now. You mated! And when you’re with your sire, you’ll do this and check your PAK for updates on your reproductive system until it reports that you’ve conceived. After which you part ways from your sire and return to your housing unit to rest until it’s time to lay your eggs. At which time, there’s a separate location you’ll do that in. I’ll show you that later.” Kilo looked Zim over and stepped back from the bed. “Go ahead and leave your boots off, you won’t need them for the rest of the tour.”

Zim was still in a confused daze, but he got up and picked up his boots, carrying them as he and Kilo left the room.


	2. A Reproducer's Life

Zim felt incredibly shaky as he walked, legs occasionally threatening to give out. He could hardly focus on anything Kilo was telling him, instead thinking about that mating. It had felt good and wasn’t really anything difficult. So why had he felt so upset afterward?

It was normal, supposedly, but he had still felt violated. Maybe it was just how quickly Kilo had done things? Maybe he just wanted some more warning before just being pushed onto the bed? That could be it. Hard to say when he’s never experienced that sort of thing before.

Kilo showed him where he would be staying. It was nice, like a small apartment. Bedroom, living room, bathroom, kitchen. It was furnished though was lacking in food at the moment. Kilo said he could pick whatever he wanted from the community pantry later. The Reproducers received a nice salary of monies each month but there was no charge for food. The monies were more for luxuries and clothing. Though monies could also be donated back to the facility with requests for special meals in the cafeteria or for certain food items for the pantry, which would be provided as soon as possible.

It seemed like a nice deal. Zim still would rather be an Invader.

After receiving the key for his rooms, Zim was taken to see where he would report to lay eggs once fertilized.

It wasn’t a long walk. Kilo didn’t show him into the room but said it was basically a medical center with lots of beds for irkens to be comfortable as they laid their eggs, where specialists would be able to monitor them closely and take care of any issues. Once the eggs were laid, the Reproducer would be cleaned up, given whatever care they need, and released back to their rooms to recover.

Kilo showed Zim around to a few more places in the area before deciding to leave him to get some rest.

“Remember, stay on your side when not in a meeting room,” Kilo said, tapping a foot against the green floor. “Your room has a computer and you’ll see a notice come across it in the morning with your instructions. You’ll probably go see a doctor for some exams and such, get you fully entered into our system, and so on. Well, have a nice night!”

“You too.” Zim watched him leave, then went into his room with a sigh. His gut churned and he wrapped his arms around his middle. Why did he still feel so bad?

He told himself to get over it. This was his duty now. And if this was where the empire needed him, he would do a good job. He just needed to adjust to this. Maybe some self-exploration would do him well. If he was going to become fertile and hormonal, he might as well familiarize himself with his reproductive system.

He went to the bedroom, tossing off his uniform. He saw that there were clothes waiting for him on the bed. There were robes like Kilo had said, along with silky, comfortable-looking gowns.

No shirts, pants, or shoes, though. Odd. Maybe there was more in the dresser? Upon checking, he concluded no, those were the only clothes. Well then.

Zim gathered up the clothes and set them aside, then hopped onto the bed. It was pretty comfortable, he had to admit. He felt tired already. He ignored that for now, reaching down between his legs with both hands.

He was slow and methodical in exploring himself. One hand felt along his sheath, feeling inside it and coaxing his shaft out. The other hand massaged his entrance, not going inside quite yet, just feeling it. He was soon breathing deeply, heart racing and body pulsing with heat. This was exhilarating. He really should have been eased into this. Kilo had taken things so fast, no wonder he had felt awful.

Now, going at his own pace, it was pretty enjoyable. Zim stroked up and down his length as it emerged, feeling it grow slick. He also tried putting his fingers inside himself. It was a strange sensation but a good one.

Exploring himself like this, he was able to bring his body back to climax. It took his breath away and made him cry out with pleasure, and even once the orgasm was over, his body tingled pleasantly all over.

He panted as he recovered. Alright then. He felt like he was prepared for his new job.

It was strange being able to go to sleep when he wanted. He ended up sleeping for hours longer than usual too, so warm in bed that he didn’t want to get up. But finally he did, yawning and rubbing his face before glancing at the computer sitting on the desk nearby. A single message was on the screen, instructing him to go downstairs and visit a doctor as soon as he woke up.

Zim scrambled out of bed, wondering when that message had arrived, did he miss an appointment? He started to pull on his uniform before remembering he was no longer an Invader. This wasn’t authorized wear. He put the uniform down and put on one of the gowns instead. It seemed kinda big toward the bottom. Quite stretchy. But comfortable.

He hadn’t been given shoes. Did they really expect him to go barefoot? He got the feeling they did, but ew, germs!

He put his boots on and headed out. Things were quiet and he only saw a few other irkens, but this time they were his fellow Reproducer dams. They seemed cheery enough, giving him curious looks and waving to him. He waved back but didn’t stop to chat, making his way to an elevator so he could go down to the medical offices.

It took some wandering but he finally got to where he needed to be. The doctor wasn’t upset. She just greeted him and took him into her office, sitting him down and asking a series of questions about his medical history while taking vitals. She grabbed a few blood samples for testing, along with taking a swab of his mouth for further genetic testing. She told him that they liked to have a thorough idea of every Reproducer’s health and if he ever felt sick, to please seek medical attention.

It was strange. When Zim was a soldier, even painful injuries were just treated as inconveniences and he was expected to walk it off and let his PAK heal him. If he got sick, he would have to push through it. So the offer of readily available medical care was a change. He would have to make sure he used it.

The doctor finished her physical examinations and used some tools to check Zim’s blood right there while he waited. “You seem very fit and healthy, but let me check your hormone levels. I’m sure Kilo would like to know when you’re ready to go. You’re going to be a dam, right?”

“Yes.”

“What a proud job. I know it takes two to reproduce but the dam goes through so much more pain for the empire, it’s such an honorable sacrifice.”

Zim tensed. “Pain?”

“Well, yes. Laying eggs is a tedious and painful process, especially for litters of more than one. Though lots of dams claim it gets easier after a while.”

Zim nervously fiddled with his gown. “Ah. Are there painkillers?”

“Sure but do you really want to be drugged up every single time you lay eggs?”

Zim supposed not. “No. Ah, I’ll be fine, pain is an old friend to an Elite.”

“That’s right, you were an Elite. You must have so many good stories.” She leaned back from her microscope. “Wow, your PAK must have worked overtime all night. Your hormones are already at regular levels. You’re likely fertile now. You can get started right away.”

“Oh, fun,” Zim commented, forcing a smile. He had been hoping for a longer adjustment period but if he was ready now, so be it.

The doctor moved over to her computer and filled in several notes. “I’ll just mark you as ready, this’ll flow over to the scheduler, Jaz, and odds are she’ll send you to breakfast to get your energy up and then you can get started!” She picked up a watch-like device from the table along with a scanner, which she swiped over the watch. It beeped and she had Zim hold out his wrist, putting it on him. “Reproducers need to wear these at all times, they track your vitals. It also displays any messages that are sent to you, in case you're away from the computer in your room. If one comes in, I’d recommend hitting the acknowledge button as soon as possible so Jaz doesn’t try to pull her antennae out from stress.”

“I see. Thank you.” Zim checked out the wristband. Plain shades of gray with a green-tinted screen. Not many buttons.

“It’s basically a pager, not good for much else besides receiving messages from Jaz.”

After a few moments, a message did pop up, telling Zim he had the next hour to have breakfast before he was expected to report to meeting room 25.

He saw that there were two auto responses available for him to choose. A simple acknowledgment and a request to meet and reschedule. He got the feeling Jaz didn’t like that second option. He clicked the first button.

He wrapped things up with the doctor at that point, who wished him luck.

“Also, you don’t really need to wear shoes up on the second floor, it’s kept very clean,” she said when he headed for the door.

“Being barefoot feels weird though,” he said.

“I know, but it’s one less thing to worry about taking off when you meet your mate.”

“I guess, but. Eh. Whatever, I’ll take them off back at my room then.” Zim left. He moved briskly back upstairs and returned to his room, going inside to take his shoes off. He left them near the door and headed back out.

He didn’t care for this outfit. He felt so exposed. He had nothing on his arms or legs, the gown only had short sleeves and went to his knees. Other than that, his skin was completely vulnerable. It was quite warm in here luckily, but he still found himself shivering at each air current he happened to feel from a nearby vent or even just people walking past him.

The only comfort was that they were all dressed like him for the most part. Some seemed to have bought themselves different colored outfits, some with longer sleeves, and a few individuals had pants. But there were no gloves or shoes to be seen.

Zim noticed a dam walking toward him with a takeout container in hand who had quite the massive stomach, making it suddenly clear why these gowns were favored. They were probably one of the more comfortable clothing choices for those who were carrying eggs.

Zim tried not to stare too much at the other. He could probably count on one hand the number of times he’s been in the same room with a pregnant person. It was such an odd sight to him.

And to think, he’ll probably look like that soon… it was scary, will his body really change that much?

The person suddenly stopped in front of him. “Hi.”

Zim froze and stumbled over his words before replying, “Hey.”

“You’re new here, huh?” the other said.

“Er, yes, haha… is it obvious?”

“Very. Still tiny, wearing the original gown, plus I’ve never seen you here before. I’m Babs.” She held out a hand.

Zim cautiously took it. Shaking hands without gloves was a new experience too. People had such weirdly warm skin. “Zim.”

“Ohh, wow. I had heard we were getting you. Zim, huh? Hey, don’t go blowing up this place, I like it here.”

Zim chuckled but wasn’t amused. “So you like this job?”

“The job is… tough, at times. But I’m well taken care of and there’s pride in knowing I’m contributing to the empire like this.”

“How long have you been doing this?”

“Eighteen years. I’ve been here quite a long time.”

“Wow. And how long can one do this job for?”

“Well, with medical science and our enhanced longevity… a healthy Reproducer can easily do this into their fifties. I’m only thirty-four. Plenty of time to go.”

Zim stared. He was only sixteen, to think he could be doing this for thirty-five or more years… and Irk had such long years… “Well, good luck, then.”

“Thanks.”

“And what er. What options do we have once we can’t produce eggs anymore?”

“Well, after that we have the chance to be assigned admin work in this very building. Kilo and Jaz were once Reproducers here themselves, you’ve met them, right?”

“Yes.”

“Yeah, they worked here for many years, both as sires. Eventually they had contributed all they could and their fertility waned, so they moved to working other jobs here. They made their way up to their current positions over time. But the company also sets up its employees with nice retirement homes out in the city if you really want that.”

Retirement seemed like the better option after many years laying eggs. But Zim supposed he wouldn’t know what he’d want to do until he got there. It would be a long time before he had to make that decision.

“I see. Thanks for letting me know. I need to get breakfast now, is this the right way?”

“It is. Just keep following this hall, and there’s also signs.”

“Oh.” Zim looked and saw that there were signs with arrows toward the various sections of the building. “Okay, see ya.”

“Bye, and feel free to find me if you have any questions!”

Zim nodded and continued walking. She was nice. She seemed very maternal.

He soon reached the cafeteria. It was easily the busiest place he’s seen so far. The tables were full of irkens eating and chatting. He saw many round bellies. He wondered how many eggs were laid here a day, on average.

He looked around the room. There were multiple lines for food, which each seemed to have different options. He checked each line before deciding what he wanted and grabbing a tray. Everything was self-serve. He didn’t need to check out with anyone. The food really was freely available here. It was nice getting to choose his own portions.

Once he had a plate of his favorite breakfast foods, he grabbed some glasses of sweet juice and went to find a table. Most were occupied but he found an empty one to sit at, digging in. He was anxious about later but that wasn’t new to him. He knew the importance of pushing past it and making sure he ate well. He needed the energy.

The food was pretty good. Far better than the mess halls he had to eat in before. Maybe this was going to be a good life. Sure, egg laying apparently hurt, but he felt he could put up with that in exchange for the otherwise safe and cushy lifestyle. At least he wouldn’t get shot at like this.

He saw the others giving him curious looks sometimes, but no one approached him. He hoped his face made it obvious he didn’t want to be talked to right now.

He took his time eating, as his pager displayed the time and when he was expected in the meeting room. He still had twenty minutes and he knew the walk would only take about five.

When he finished his food, he grabbed a cookie to snack on to waste a little more time. Then, with nothing else to do, he headed out. He saw a few others do the same and figured it was their time to bear eggs once more. They gave him respectful nods and he nodded back.

“First time?” one asked.

“Sorta,” he replied, thinking back to Kilo.

“Ah, Kilo showed you the ropes?”

“Yeah.”

“He likes to break in the newcomers, show them what to expect. But don’t worry, your sire will be much better.”

“I hope so.” Zim didn’t want a repeat of last night's nausea and discomfort.

He made small talk with the others as he walked, doing his best to learn names. They all seemed so happy and at ease. He wondered if any of them were nervous during their first meeting with their sires. When they reached the meeting rooms, Zim looked for 25 and found it toward the end of the hall. The other dams wished him luck and disappeared into their rooms. He stood there looking at his door for a few moments more, collecting his nerves, and then walked in.


	3. The Sire

The irken waiting for Zim was rather tall. Not quite as tall as Kilo, but maybe twice his own height. He had medium green skin and curious brown eyes that reminded Zim of caramel.

Zim swallowed, finding him rather attractive. His antennae perked slightly and he saw the other’s raise too. One had a weird kink to the middle and he wondered what had happened to it. The tips of them were also unusually long compared to usual.

“Hello, I’m Zim,” Zim said, moving closer to the bed.

The other hesitated, then said, “I’m Dib.”

“Dib. Nice to meet you.”

“Yeah. Wow, I’ve been waiting for a dam for a while, but I didn’t expect it to be you! Zim, Irk’s most unpredictable soldier. A walking disaster who was finally discharged from the military after one mistake too many. That thing with Operation Impending Doom has been all over the news.”

Zim sighed. “I see my reputation has preceded me.”

“It’s quite the reputation you have. It's... really worrying being in the same room with you.” Dib chuckled but Zim could tell his posture was tense.

“All that destruction is in the past,” Zim said, waving a hand. “I won't harm you or anyone else here. I just want to get started with this new role I've been assigned to.”

“Yeah, of course. I'm just thinking about how crazy it is that of anyone I could have gotten, I'm gonna be siring smeets with you. Well, should be interesting at least…” Dib shrugged and loosened his robe, letting it fall from him. “Try not to kill me, please.”

Zim started to make a snarky retort, then his eyes widened slightly as he looked at the nice muscle tone the other had, checking out his long, lean legs and the curves of his thighs. He looked back at his face, nervously gripping his own- gown. Shit, he forgot to put on a robe. Was that wrong? Was he going to get in trouble?

Dib didn’t seem concerned though, just looking at him expectantly. Why was he… oh. Right. Disrobe. Zim took a breath and slipped the gown off, dropping it to the floor.

Dib checked him out. He seemed to like what he saw. “You’re so in shape. We’ll see how long that lasts. Alright, let’s do this.”

So impersonal. Like it was just a- well, just a job. Zim wondered why he felt disappointed. Was he expecting something more? Praise or reassurance, perhaps?

He backed over toward the bed, taking the position he had last night. Dib followed him, but when he got between his legs, he examined him and then shook his head, patting Zim’s thighs. “Can you move back further? All the- yeah, get all the way on the bed.”

Zim moved back until he could lay down fully, and Dib knelt on the bed, pulling Zim’s hips up against his.

“There we go. Heh, you’re pretty cute like this,” Dib said.

Something seemed to flutter in Zim’s chest. “And you look very nice too,” he replied. He felt silly saying it but saw the other blush. That was a good sign, right? It felt nice seeing it, at least.

“Maybe you aren’t so bad,” Dib said. He rocked himself against Zim, rubbing their sheaths together for a few moments, and Zim moaned with pleasure. “Yeah? That feel good?”

“Mhm…” Zim nodded, watching Dib’s eyes. They were warm and had a keen intellect behind them. Zim reached to hold the other’s shoulders, crossing his legs around his hips the way he had been told. “Does it feel good for you too?”

“Yeah,” Dib breathed. He moved his antennae forward, flicking them as he released pheromones. Zim instinctively moved his antennae over his head to collect the other’s scent. His body quickly grew hot, some ancient genetic memory seeming to spring to the front of his mind, telling him that this other irken was strong and healthy, a desirable mate. And oh, Zim wanted to mate. This was already so much different from yesterday.

It seemed all his reservations were swept aside by the arousal that blossomed in his core. He smiled at the other. This really wasn’t so scary, now that he knew what to expect.

Dib soon let himself out of his sheath and Zim did the same, the two rutting together as they explored each other’s bodies with their hands.

Then Dib leaned in and whispered into Zim’s antenna, “I know you're new to all this so you don't have to agree. But I think this’ll feel much better for us if we’re a mated pair, plus it’ll give us a bigger litter. We’re permanently assigned together, might as well be mates, huh?”

Zim had never even considered the possibility of obtaining a mate. It was so strange to think about. Devoting himself to another irken? Being physically and emotionally vulnerable to them? It made him a little queasy thinking about it. But it also sounded nice, too. Dib was right, they were assigned together. If this made things better, what did he really have to lose? It was a practical decision. “Might as well,” Zim agreed.

Dib moved their antennae together. Zim sighed at how they curled around his, sending tingles down his spine. He collected the pheromones and brushed his own against Dib’s face.

He hadn’t expected to give in so fast. But he was already quite fond of the sire that had been picked for him. Such a tall, handsome irken. So gentle with him but also a confident leader. A good mate.

Zim tilted his hips up, burying his face into the other’s throat. “Mm, take me.” As novel as this kind of talk was to him, it felt right. Especially with the way his partner moaned and pressed closer to him.

Dib rubbed along his entrance a few times before slipping his tip inside. Zim slid his arms around the other’s neck, holding him closer as he went deeper.

Zim wasn’t sure how to explain it, but Dib felt so much better than Kilo had despite being a similar size. Dib started out with some clumsy thrusts that made Zim giggle, and he paused, embarrassed.

“Nah, come on, keep trying,” Zim said. He grinned at the sheepish look on the other’s face. Dib regained his confidence.

“I practiced, I promise, but it’s been a while since I've been with an actual person,” Dib said as he slowly settled into a rhythm.

“So, ah... you've been with someone else before?”

“Reproducers are encouraged to explore their bodies with each other and figure things out before we start our actual work. But since I turned sixteen and my fertility kicked in I haven't been able to be with another irken. I had to practice in other ways while waiting to be assigned to you.”

“So what'd you use, dolls or something?” Zim teased.

“That’s not far from the truth. Yeah, I got some practice in with toys, which felt good, but oh…” Dib moaned, shaking a little once he had half of himself inside Zim. “You feel way better. You just… your body hugs me like it was made for me, and you’re so warm…”

Zim whimpered as Dib picked up the pace, going deeper. “I got one chance to practice,” Zim managed in between his pleasured whines. “With Kilo. But you feel way better.”

“Yeah… I heard he likes to take advantage of new dams like that. What a creep.”

“Creep? C-come on, it was for educational purposes…”

“I’m sure he says that, but as an old sire, he should know sex just isn’t satisfying unless a bond is made first.”

“A bond?”

“Yeah. Like a mating pairbond. What we did earlier. Sex feels empty without that.”

“Oh.” Thinking back, Kilo hadn’t done any sort of pheromone release or really any attempt to bond emotionally with Zim. He had been cordial enough with him, but also had just used his position of authority to coerce him onto his back and use his body. No wonder Zim had felt violated.

“But don’t think about Kilo anymore,” Dib said. “I’m with you now. Gonna make you feel so much better than he did.”

Zim’s lower half gave a little spasm as he felt Dib sink in to the hilt. He was completely inside and he felt so good. Zim kept his eyes on Dib’s, a similar haze to yesterday’s settling over him. But while he had felt disconnected from his body before, this time he seemed even more sensitive to it. Each thrust of Dib’s hips brought a wave of pleasure, the tugging of Dib’s claws against his thighs a rush of excitement, and Zim eagerly moved to meet him. He arched his back as he tried to push their bodies closer together, wanting to feel as much of him as possible.

“Mm, that’s it, Zim,” Dib encouraged. “You’re doing so good, keep it up, ohh I can’t wait to breed you.”

Zim finished at that, body tightening around the other. Dib cried out and thrust in hard as he came too, coating Zim’s insides with his seed.

They panted, giving each other tired smiles, and Zim butted their heads together, feeling Dib’s antennae with his own. They could smell each other’s satisfaction.

Then Dib pulled out and sat back.

“We done?” Zim asked, cocking his head.

“I don’t know. Run a scan, see if you conceived.”

“Will my PAK know this early?”

“Yeah, it can tell pretty quickly.”

Zim checked. It wasn’t a scan he’s ever used before, but it was pretty easy to figure out. His PAK had a report for him in seconds. “Hm. No, I don’t seem to be pregnant.”

“Ah. That means we keep going.” Dib pinned Zim back down. “Mm, you’ve been so good for me.”

“I was told to be submissive,” Zim stated.

“Makes sense. But you don’t have to be totally submissive. Might be fun to spice things up. Try different positions some time. But for now we can keep things simple.” Dib slipped back into him and Zim shuddered. “You’re so fucking wet, when I saw how small you were I thought you’d need a lot of foreplay, but wow you’re just taking me like it’s nothing.”

Zim gave him an unsure smile. “Thanks? I’m happy to please.”

“I’m sure you’re very happy. I can tell from how you feel right now, oh… so good.” Dib explored along Zim’s thighs, then said, “Can I try something a little different?”

“Hm? Uh, sure?” Zim wondered what he had in mind.

Dib moved his arms away from his neck and had him drop them to the covers. Then he shifted their positions, opening Zim’s thighs wider and grasping both his ankles, lifting Zim’s legs up until he could drape them over his shoulders.

“Ah!” Zim called out with rapture at the new position, as it seemed to make the feeling so much more intense, Dib pounding hard and fast into him. He got off mere seconds after the change, coming against his stomach, and Dib moaned and grazed his teeth against Zim’s neck as he toppled over his own edge, giving a few more unsteady thrusts before coming again.

“Whew, now that was good,” Dib murmured, setting Zim’s legs down and withdrawing.

Zim shivered a few times as stray pangs of pleasure passed through his body. That had been intense. He had to lick his lips and clear his throat a few times before managing to find his voice. “So now do I… I check again?”

“Yep.”

Zim consulted his PAK. This time, it reported success. One egg fertilized. “One. Only one, do we keep going, or…”

“No, one is actually great, that’ll let you ease into things. We did it, we can stop.” And just like that, Dib was climbing off him and getting out of bed, going to put his robe back on.

“W-wait.” Zim struggled into a sitting position. “That’s it? You fertilize me and then just… walk away?”

“Yes? My job’s done, at least until you’ve had your egg and are ready to try for more.”

“But this… us being mates, I thought…” Zim trailed off. What did he think? That they would hang out? Cuddle? Shower together and then climb into bed and fall asleep? No. They would not see each other outside of these practical meetings.

Dib looked sympathetic. He took his time tying his robe and picked up Zim’s gown, offering it to him when he got out of bed. “It sucks,” he said quietly while Zim put the gown on. “They have us become mates to make the sex easier but then don’t let us see each other any other time. But we all must make sacrifices for the empire.”

Zim nodded. “You’re right. But I’m willing to do this. I want to contribute everything I can to Irk.”

“I’m glad. I wish we could be spend more time together, but this is just how things are.” Dib glanced toward the door. “I need to go. But… good luck with the egg.” He dropped his hand briefly to Zim’s stomach, and gave him one more kiss with an antenna. “See you later.”

“See you.” Zim stepped away, forcing himself to walk to the door and out. His chest ached and he stopped as soon as he was back in the hall, leaning against the wall and trying not to cry. Why was he so emotional lately? Was it all these new hormones? He hated feeling like this. He was so strong before but now he just wanted to sprint back through that door, out the other, and find Dib and jump on him and hold him. He felt a loneliness colder than any he's felt before, standing here alone when he could still be in that room, maybe wrapped up in the warm blanket, getting to know his new partner...

His pager vibrated briefly. He glanced at it. It told him that his egg would be ready to be laid in a week. He sighed and acknowledged, then pushed himself from the wall and headed back to his room. He got encouraging words from the dams he passed but wasn’t really in the mood to respond properly, just nodding and walking faster, head down.

As soon as he was back to his rooms, he went straight to the bathroom. Gown was tossed off and he got in the shower, washing sweat and other fluids off himself. He thought about Dib as he did. It was strange how quickly he had submitted to him. But then, he was a sire. He probably had courtship perfected, knew all the right things to do, playing on old irken instinct until he had Zim accepting him as his mate.

But at least Dib was attractive. He seemed interesting and Zim hoped he would be able to learn more about him. If they couldn’t see each other outside of mating, he would just have to talk to him as much as he could when they were together. If he was going to spend the next few decades of his life with that person, he wanted to be good friends with him.

Once he was clean, he looked down at his stomach, feeling it. He wondered how big he would get from one egg.

A short buzz came from his pager again. He looked at it. This wasn’t something he needed to respond to, it was simply a reminder that he take care of himself and make sure he ate well. There was a list of nutrients that developing eggs needed.

He decided he should go grab an early lunch to take care of that.

He got out of the shower and dried off, and spent a few moments preening himself in the mirror before leaving the bathroom. He tossed the old gown into a hamper and pulled on a fresh one, then headed to the cafeteria.


	4. The First Egg

Zim was getting used to going barefoot, but it still felt strange touching the tiled floor with his bare feet. It was cool and smooth. So different from the fabric inside of his boots. He felt odd for the entire walk but told himself to get used to it. He had a feeling he would be telling himself that a lot now.

The cafeteria was transitioning from breakfast to lunch options when he arrived. He grabbed some different fruits and then checked out a fridge full of pre-made sandwiches. He didn’t normally like dairy but he seemed to be craving it right now. His body demanding calcium for the eggshell, most likely. He grabbed a cheese and veggie sandwich, tossing it on his tray. After collecting some other treats, he went to a table.

He was soon joined by Babs. “Hey, the newbie, wasn’t expecting to see you here so soon.”

“Nor you,” Zim replied. “I take it your schedule isn’t very full today?”

“Nope, not when I’ve got buns in the oven,” she replied, patting her stomach. “I mostly just eat and sleep. Gotta keep my energy up. So! You got lucky already?”

“Yeah. I’m just going to have one, but yeah.”

“Oh, wow, only one! That’s lucky, that’s a good start for you. You can get used to laying without having to put in too much effort.” Babs began munching on a cookie, gazing at him with her soft pink eyes. Her face had a sort of glow to it that Zim realized was due to her pregnancy. “So, your sire. Are they nice?”

Zim beamed. “Well, I just met him, but he seems very nice! He’s tall and good-looking and really helped guide me through things. He told me how being mates made it easier so we did a pairbond.”

“You did? Aw, so sweet. It will make things easier in a way, though it will make it harder too, not being able to see him any other time.” Babs sighed wistfully. “My sire, her name is Diva. She’s quite big and strong, but has such a gentle touch. I love my meetings with her. We’re mates and our love gives us such big litters of eggs, but I miss her so much when we’re apart. But we look forward to when we both retire from being Reproducers and can meet up on our own terms, outside of here.”

“That’ll be nice,” Zim said.

“Yeah. And hopefully my eggs won’t be too used up by then… I’d like to be able to have some smeets with her that we can keep.”

Zim nodded. “You’d do a great job raising them.”

“Aw, you’re so sweet. And I’m glad your sire seems like a good guy. There’s definitely a few dams here with rude or careless partners, the poor dears. But that’s why I do my best to support everyone here and keep them happy.”

“I’m sure everyone appreciates it.” Zim looked at her for a few moments curiously as he chewed on his sandwich, then he said, “So how many do you have right now? Eggs, I mean?”

“Oh?” She rested a hand on her very round belly. “Right now I’m with seven eggs.”

“Seven!” Zim exclaimed. He noticed a few heads turn toward him and coughed, lowering his voice. “Seven. That’s quite a lot.”

“It is but I’ve done it before. No big deal, and I get a nice break to recover afterward.”

“What’s the most you’ve had at once?”

“Eight.”

“Eight. That must have been something.”

“Oh it was, I so desperately wished I had Diva at my side for that one, but the doctors got me through it just fine.”

Zim could only imagine what that was like. How she must have wanted her mate for comfort and couldn’t have her. It sounded so cold. Why did this place keep the sires and dams apart? “And what’s the most anyone’s had at once? Or is eight the record?”

“Oh eight certainly isn’t the record. The most ever had at once in this facility was eleven. Which is absolutely amazing, though I’ve heard some birthing facilities on other parts of Irk have even higher records. With how bad eight eggs were I couldn’t imagine how awful it’d feel to have to go to a ninth, then a tenth, and even more! But hey, if it was for Irk, I’d do it anyway.”

Zim nodded. He could certainly understand bearing horrible pain for the sake of the empire. It was interesting to see that non-military professions felt the same.

He talked with Babs throughout lunch, and she invited some of the other dams over to chat with him too. They seemed cautious, no doubt thinking about the destruction he’s caused throughout his life, but they were nice enough. He promised he would put all that behind him, and it wasn’t like he had access to military equipment anymore so it made it a little harder to be that destructive.

“But you do still have a military PAK, unless they took your weapons,” Hal, who was the previous newest dam before Zim’s arrival, commented.

Zim tilted his head, then opened his PAK panels and stretched out all four spiderlegs. “Nope, still got those.” The others flinched and he quickly retracted them. “But I won’t use them! I’m living a new life now, no need for any of that old equipment. Might go see a PAK specialist and have that stuff taken out, maybe free up some space for more memory storage or something, haha.”

They laughed. Zim laughed along but he had no actual intention of getting rid of his PAK legs or any of the other useful tools he possessed. He might need them one day.

When he was done eating, he questioned what he should do next. The answer of “whatever you want” was expected but still crazy to hear. He had spent so long following a strict military schedule. Being able to choose his own schedule was nearly incomprehensible.

Babs took pity on him and said he should check out the library, she’ll take him there. He accepted the invitation and walked with her, talking about her hobbies but not really having his own to discuss, as he didn’t have much free time before. He liked tinkering, he admitted. Messing with computers and building guns was relaxing for him. She suggested that he get into arts and crafts if he wanted to do something with his hands. The library had a lot of 3D puzzles and art supplies.

“You guys have video games?” he asked.

“Sure, there’s a game room. And you can borrow consoles and games for your room if you like.”

“Really? Wow, you have everything here!”

She giggled. “Well, we do a very important job. So we’re well taken care of. Plus for safety reasons we can’t really leave the building except to go out to the field, so they make sure we have plenty to occupy ourselves with here.”

Zim nodded. “Say, I was wondering… why are the dams and sires kept on separate sides of the building?”

“Ah, well…” She thought about it, then explained, “Irken mated pairs are very loyal to each other. If we were able to see each other often, it’s very likely that we would bond so much that trying to then take our eggs could turn us violent. So keeping us apart is a way of keeping us just detached enough that we’re willing to give up our eggs once they’re laid, without the sire getting defensive as they naturally do when in the same area.”

“Oh. But still, can they not just… allow more time to hang out but then separate us on the actual egg laying day? It just seems cruel, mates are very close like you said, but we have to defy our nature?”

“That’s what the empire asks of us. I know it’s hard. But trust me, this way is the most efficient. Facilities that tested letting their pairs live together reported more instances of resisting egg retrieval and even outright rebellion, as pairs tried to escape to go live their own lives. The way we do things here is for the best.”

Zim sighed. He didn’t like it, but it made sense on a purely logical level. It wasn't the first time the empire has required him to set aside his personal feelings for the good of the collective. He knew not to question it too deeply. He didn’t ask any more about it, instead changing subject to the other entertainment available here.

And so he passed the next week just keeping himself busy with whatever he could find. He would enjoy long meals, hang out in the library, or sometimes just walk around through the halls or outside. There was grass out here, which was an unusual sight on Irk. He often brought books outside to read, just lounging in the grass with a snack by his side, enjoying the sunlight. There was less pollution in the air here as well so he could actually see the Sun, which was also rare on his planet. This was nice.

He noticed that he seemed a bit bigger with each passing day. When he felt his stomach it seemed almost firm. Yeah, that was the egg, alright. Growing large, its shell forming around it and putting a strange pressure on his insides. He found himself cradling it a lot. Partly to lift its weight up a bit, but also because it was just nice to feel it there, reminding him of the life he had created with his mate.

He thought about his new mate a lot. Strange to think of an irken he only spent around half an hour with as his mate already, but it felt natural too. He really did feel a connection with Dib. He hoped it would grow stronger over time.

Finally the day arrived when he was expected to lay the egg. He wasn’t sure if he was ready. This was all so new to him. The egg certainly felt very solid in him, especially when he walked around or even just held his abdomen. But he wasn’t sure how actually laying it was supposed to work. But then, that’s what the doctors were for.

Babs went with him toward the laying room. “You’re gonna do great,” she said. She was a little unsteady on her feet; she had just had her eggs the previous day. All seven came out with no problems but it had been quite the ordeal, so she was on pain relief right now.

“Are you able to come in with me?” he asked.

“If you want me to.”

He grabbed her hand. “I do.”

She patted his hand gently. “Alright, sweetie. I’ll come.”

Babs was probably the only person that could get away with calling him sweetie. She was just so nice he couldn’t yell at her for it. He liked her doting nature, not that he would admit it out loud. They reached the door and Zim reached out to open it, feeling the other squeeze his hand a little tighter as he did. He went inside.

The room was fairly large and seemed to be separated by curtains into several smaller areas. His antennae twitched as he heard the sounds of strained panting and groaning from behind some of those curtains, the chattering of doctors, and the beeping of medical equipment.

Zim hesitated, looking around at the beds where the curtains were open, and trepidation seeped into him. “Why… are there straps on the beds?”

“For safety,” Babs replied solemnly, leading him further into the room.

A tall irken in scrubs headed toward them. “Ah, Zim?” he asked, checking his tablet.

Zim tore his eyes away from the nearest bed to look at him. “Yes.”

“Can you give me your full PAK ID number please?”

Zim recited it and the other nodded.

“Alright sir, I’m Dr. Timby and I’ll be in charge of your procedure today. This is your first time laying eggs, correct?”

“Yes,” Zim confirmed.

Dr. Timby turned and led him to one of the open beds, calling over two other medics as he did. Babs held his hand all the way over, but let go once he was told to get on the bed.

“Typically, an irken laying eggs would do so from a sort of squatting position,” Timby said as he laid Zim back, pulling a wire from the nearby monitor and hooking it to his PAK. It began displaying Zim’s heartbeat, pulse, and respiration. “But as that sort of laying easily leads to brooding behavior and makes it difficult for us to retrieve the eggs, we instead have you lay on your back.”

“I see.” Zim watched as the two other medics took his ankles and laid them into stirrups at the end of the bed, pushing his legs apart. He blushed and almost wanted to cover himself, but resisted the urge.

“Here for emotional support, I assume?” Timby asked Babs.

She nodded. “Yep, with this being his first time I know it’s going to be intense.”

“You may end up having to help hold him down, this one was a soldier, he’s got a lot of muscle.”

“I’m ready.”

Zim’s brows furrowed. “Hold me down… okay, what are you talking about?”

Timby gestured to the medics. They swiftly got on either side of the bed, pulling Zim’s wrists through the straps and tightening them down. He struggled but wasn’t able to pull free. Timby waited for him to stop thrashing, then said, “Irkens have strong protective instincts toward their young, Zim. When you lay this egg, you will not respond well to us removing it from your sight. That’s why we have to hold you down.”

“Seriously?” Zim scoffed. “This is ridiculous, I’m a disciplined Elite- er, was a disciplined Elite, but that kind of training doesn’t just disappear overnight! As unhappy as I may be after laying this egg, I won’t do anything to any of the staff here. You don’t need to tie me down like a lunatic.”

“Trust me,” Babs said, rubbing his shoulder. “Yes they do. You being an Elite makes it even more important that you’re secured. Because you have a lot more strength than most of the dams.”

“I still think this is overkill,” Zim muttered. He grimaced when his ankles were also tied into place on the stirrups.

Timby took his place down at the end of the bed, standing between Zim’s legs. One of the assistants rolled a table over to him that had what seemed to be a fabric nest on top of it and extra cloth on a shelf underneath.

“Vitals look good,” the other assistant said. Zim looked at the two, wondering if he should ask for their names, but then returned his attention to Timby as his lower squeedilyspooch suddenly coiled with nausea.

“Based on when you conceived, hm… yep, you should be ready to lay the egg,” Timby said. “So, feel this?” He reached under the gown and set his hand in the center of Zim’s pelvis, applying pressure.

Zim groaned as the nausea turned into a dull pain. “It kinda hurts.”

“Yes, there will be some pain.” Timby grabbed one of the cloths from the table. “Now what I need you to do is focus on where the egg is, right here…” He pressed again, downward now. Zim winced. “And push it down. It will feel strange at first but once you figure out what muscles to use, you’ll never forget it. Push.”

It was bizarre. It was really bizarre and uncomfortable, but like with the mating before, it seemed there were instincts to handle this. Zim did his best to listen to them, focusing on the pain and tightening unfamiliar muscles, and then he felt the startling sensation of the egg moving down. He immediately stopped, panting and trying to adjust to how that had felt.

“That’s it, keep doing what you just did,” Timby said. “And try to slow your breathing. Deep breaths. Push when you exhale, recover on the inhale. Keep going.”

Zim glanced at Babs, who smiled at him and used her sleeve to wipe sweat from his forehead. He looked at the monitor on his other side, which showed how much his pulse has already jumped up. He tried to relax and get his breathing under control while he continued to push. He was glad it was only the one egg. He could only imagine how this would feel if he had multiple inside him.

As he felt the egg travel further down, he could feel a sort of contentment wash over him. There was pain, but the new sensation seemed to balance out with it, making it easier to bear. He wondered what this was. Was he just getting used to it? Or did he have hormones for this too? It was more wonderful than he expected. Even though he was midway through laying an egg. An egg. His egg was almost here…

He purred slightly, eyes drifting closed, pushing harder. Pain and pleasure swirled through his body and his toes curled, fingers digging into the bed. Wouldn’t be long now…

With the others encouraging him, he finally managed to lay the egg. It slipped out of him along with a stream of fluid, which Timby was prepared for and immediately started mopping up, placing the egg aside in the ‘nest’ as he did.

“Oh, you did so well for a first time!” Babs praised.

Zim shook a bit when he opened his eyes, very aware of how much sweat had coated his body during that ordeal. “Y-yeah. I’m just glad it’s over. Now, the egg… where’s the egg?” He lifted his head and located it on the table. His antennae lifted and he tried to sit up, but the restraints held tight.

“No, Zim,” Timby said patiently as he cleaned. “The egg needs to go to a hatching facility, remember?”

“Hatching…” Zim’s brow furrowed. He certainly remembered having the process explained to him. But that didn’t seem to matter to him right now. That obviously didn’t apply to _his_ egg. “No, wait! Don’t touch it!”

“Maddi, go ahead and take the egg over to processing,” Timby said.

One of the assistants nodded and approached the table. As soon as she began to roll it away, Zim thrashed and let out a screech, trying desperately to get out of the straps. “No, don’t touch my egg, get back here!”

“They never believe me,” Timby sighed, standing and throwing away the soiled cloth. He went to stand next to Zim and pinned him down. “Relax before you hurt yourself.”

“She’s taking my egg, no, you have to stop her! Gah!” Zim kept fighting and tried to bite the other. So the remaining assistant took a leather mask with small holes in it for air and fastened it over Zim’s mouth, tying the straps tightly behind his head. He snarled and tried to chew it, but was unable to move it out of place.

His eyes followed the egg the entire time it was within view, and then the curtains were pulled shut around the bed and he couldn’t see it anymore. His eyes widened and he kept fighting the straps around his wrists and ankles, while the three other irkens piled onto his body to keep him pinned, all of them talking over each other as they tried to soothe him. The only one who's voice really registered was Babs.

“I know it hurts,” she said sadly, turning his face toward hers and looking into his eyes. “I can’t count the number of times I’ve been through this and it still hurts, even I sometimes need to be strapped down. What you’re feeling is normal. But you have to let your smeet go. It’s going to go on and do great things, but it won’t be your responsibility to raise it.”

Zim didn’t want to just let it go, it was his, it needed him! He has never loved anything as strongly as he loved that egg, how could he just let them take it away? He kept struggling, beginning to cry as he realized he really couldn’t free himself. And the egg was definitely gone now. His future smeet, the life he had created… gone.

Babs pulled his head against her chest, hugging him. “I know. Get it all out.”

He wanted to throw her off. He also wanted to wrap his arms around her and hold her. Unable to do either, he just cried against her. She petted his antennae back while she held him, whispering to him softly, and Timby took advantage of the distraction, filling a needle with a sedative and going to the crook of Zim’s elbow, injecting it in.

“I don’t normally do this but it is his first time,” he explained to Babs.

She nodded in understanding. “He definitely needs it.”

Zim only barely noticed the pinprick of the needle, but he definitely noticed as his energy seemed to leave him, his limbs growing heavy and body going limp on the bed. His breathing slowed and he stopped crying, just staring up at the ceiling.

The three let go of him and he didn’t make any move to keep fighting.

“Okay. Zim?” Timby asked, leaning over him. “Can you look at me, please?”

Zim blinked, slowly looking at him. His chest hurt and his head felt fuzzy but he couldn’t really think well enough to figure out what was wrong.

“I’m going to take off the muzzle,” Timby said, giving the mask a tap. “But if you bite, it’s going back on. Understand?”

Zim nodded. The mask was taken off and he groaned, licking his lips and working his jaw open and shut. Then he said, “I feel woozy.”

“Yes, I gave you a sedative. Do you know why you’re here?”

“I’m here… because…” It took effort for him to remember. Then his eyes widened and he said, “I came here to lay my egg. Where is it? What happened, is it over?”

“Yes, you already did that. Hm, I think my dosage was a little high… anyway. You laid the egg and it has already been taken away for processing. You became aggressive as I expected so we had to hold you down and sedate you. How do you feel now?”

“Tired,” Zim replied. “Kinda sore, and… sad.” He realized there were tear tracks on his face. “Very sad, I… miss my egg.”

“It’s normal to feel that way. But know that it’s okay, no harm will come to it. It will hatch into a healthy smeet that’ll go on to serve the empire. Be proud of that.”

Zim’s head began to clear, the sedative already losing its effect. He remembered everything. He could still feel the rage and misery at having the egg taken, but he was able to control himself, holding in those feelings. He just had to keep telling himself it was for the good of the empire. He had to think about the big picture. His smeet will live. Everything was okay.

“You can untie me,” he said quietly.

“Are you sure?” Timby asked.

“Yes. I want to go home.”

“Babs, make sure he gets back to his quarters safely,” Timby said. He began undoing all the straps. He watched Zim carefully as he took off each one, but Zim remained passive. Finally they were all off and Zim could sit up. He sighed, rubbing his face. His wrists and ankles hurt from how hard he had struggled. When he looked himself over, he saw that his thrashing had torn his skin.

Timby handed him off to the assistant, who tended to the wounds. Zim didn’t really look at her while she worked, lost in thought. Once she was done treating him, she wrapped bandages around his wrists and ankles and said he should be able to remove them in a few days. He thanked her and got ready to head out. Timby brought him a small bottle of pills, telling him that they were pain relief that also worked as mild antidepressants. He was directed to have one a day, preferably in the morning before he ate, and to come back if he felt he needed a stronger dose.

Zim examined the small pills and then thanked him, putting them in the pocket on the chest of his gown. Then he turned to go.

“I’m sorry it was such a rough experience,” Timby said, patting his back. “But it’ll get easier.”

“I hope so,” Zim said wearily, pushing the door open and walking out.

Babs stayed by his side as he left, holding his hand. He was only a few paces down the hall before the misery welled up again and he choked up, leaning heavily on the wall as he tried to get a hold of himself.

“Oh, honey, it’s okay,” Babs said soothingly, rubbing his shoulders. “You’re going to get through this. Please, let’s get you back home.”

He let her guide him down the hall, leaning heavily against her as they walked. He’s never felt this sad before. It was so much more than what he had felt when he got reassigned, or when he failed at a task… this was bone deep and cold, seeming to carve a pit right out of his chest and settle where his heart should be. He could deal with physical pain, but he didn’t know how to cope with emotional trauma. He tried to talk himself through it. He knew it was natural to feel like this and that he had done a great duty for Irk, but that didn’t make it much easier to bear.

When Babs finally got him back to his room, she sat him down on his bed and went to get him a glass of water, giving it to him. She also opened the bottle of pills and gave him one, telling him to take it.

“You’ll feel better,” she insisted when he hesitated. “Just go ahead and take this one now, and then start taking them regularly starting tomorrow morning.”

He sighed and tossed it into his mouth, swallowing and then drinking the water to wash it down. She sat with him until he finished off the glass, and she took the cup back to the kitchen for him. When she returned, she had a bag of chips in hand.

“I’m not hungry,” Zim mumbled, tossing off his sweaty gown and crawling under the covers.

Babs sat at the edge of the bed, opening the chips. “Dear, you used a lot of energy fighting us earlier. You need to eat.”

“I need to be alone right now,” he growled. “Just go away.”

She sighed and stood back up. “Alright. Take your time. I hope you feel better soon.” She set the bag down on the nightstand and left. Zim remained where he was until he heard the door close, a click letting him know the automatic lock had engaged. Once she was gone, he groaned and sat up, turning to swipe the bag of chips. He was starving.

He rushed through eating them, coughing a few times, but just needing to get something in him. It felt like there was a hole where his egg had been. He reached down to touch his stomach, sighing. He was going to have to get used to that experience, wasn’t he? Because he was going to repeat it. Again and again. For years. He put the empty chip bag down and curled up, burying his face in his arms as he just let the reality wash over him. This was going to be so much harder than he thought. He would do it, he would smile and show pride in his job, but he knew he was going to suffer. That was probably exactly what Red and Purple wanted as retribution for what he did at the start of Operation Impending Doom.

But he was never one to wallow in misery. He was going to lift his chin and find joy in his new duty. He was going to prove that he was still a good, loyal member of the Irken Empire no matter what it took.


	5. Growing Closer

It was only a few more days until Zim was tasked to mate again. He wasn’t looking forward to beginning the cycle anew, but he did want to see Dib. So he had a nice breakfast, made sure he was nice and clean, and put on a robe instead of a gown before heading to the meeting room. It was the same one as before, and this time he walked inside the same time Dib was.

They greeted each other and crossed the room to embrace, Zim lifting his antennae to meet Dib’s and smiling as they crossed the tips together, letting them smell each other’s pheromones. This was nice, everything seemed just a little brighter now.

“How did your egg laying go?” Dib asked.

And the brightness faded. Zim stepped back, idly rubbing his wrists. “Okay. I mean, the egg came out with no problems, and they took it. My own feelings are irrelevant.”

Dib frowned and grasped one of his hands, lifting it and looking at the scars around his wrist. “Oh. Oh no, the others told me about seeing their dams looking like this… it was rough, wasn’t it?”

“Yes,” Zim sighed. “I kinda… went crazy, apparently it’s some old instinct, we get super protective of our eggs. Seeing someone take it away just made me lose it. I fought hard to try and get it back, but they had me tied down. So. Mhm.” He shook his head, going over to the bed. “I don’t want to think about it. Why don’t we get to it, huh?”

“Oh. Sure, okay.” Dib took his robe off and Zim did the same, the two climbing into bed together.

Zim was comforted by his partner’s presence. He reached up to touch his cheeks, caressing slowly down toward his neck, and let his legs drift apart as the other mounted him.

“It’s going to be tough but I’m going to get used to it,” Zim stated. “I at least want to be able to lay eggs without freaking out once they’re taken. I really don’t want to get tied down every couple weeks.”

“Yeah, that’d probably be pretty frustrating.” Dib rubbed against him, not entering him yet, just teasing him. It quickly got Zim excited, blood rushing south and arousal building in his gut. He wanted the other so bad. Still, Dib took some time, pressing a couple fingers between Zim’s legs and feeling inside him. “You aren’t still sore from the egg laying, are you? It hasn’t been that long.”

“I’m okay,” Zim assured him. He had been a little tender when he checked himself the other night, but he felt fine now. Jaz really did run a perfect schedule.

“Then you wanna get started?”

“Sure.” Zim rested his arms around Dib’s neck as the other took him. It was wonderful being filled up by him again and he held him close as he rocked in and out.

“So, tell me about yourself,” Dib whispered to him.

“Eh?” Zim had started to close his eyes, but he opened them at that, giving Dib a confused look. “You want… to make small talk while mating?”

“It’s not like we’ll get any other chance to. I kinda want to get to know the guy I’ll be mating with for a good portion of my life.”

“A-ah.” Zim smiled, nuzzling him. It seemed they had something in common. “Well, I also… planned to get to know you during our meetings, for the same reason. This is entirely practical, just to mm, make more of our species, but ahh…” It was hard to talk now that Dib had settled into a smooth rhythm, going in deep with each thrust and making Zim’s entire body shudder in response. “You’re still my mate, and I want to know more about you.”

“You go first,” Dib said. “Tell me a fun fact about you. Anything. Your favorite ice cream. Favorite color. Do you like to sing? I just wanna know what you’re into.”

“My favorite color is purple,” Zim replied.

“Purple’s nice, but I prefer blue.”

“I like blue.” Zim kept their faces together, wanting to keep their antennae in contact. He could actually smell shifts in Dib’s pheromones as they chatted, telling him how happy and interested the other was in the conversation. And judging from the look on Dib’s face, he was sensing Zim’s feelings as well. It was so nice being able to share this kind of emotional intimacy with someone else.

“I like singing sometimes but I don’t think I’m that good at it,” Dib said.

Zim almost wanted to giggle. Here they were passionately mating, yet they were carrying on a normal conversation with each other. He liked it. “I’m sure you sound fine. I like singing too, and not to brag or anything, but I think I have a very nice voice.”

“You? Nah, I’ve heard you screaming in all kinds of news footage, there’s no way you have a nice singing voice,” Dib teased.

“Wanna bet?” Zim placed his hands on Dib’s shoulders and stretched a bit to open up his chest, and began singing. His voice was surprisingly low and alluring, but playful, lilting on certain words and carrying so much energy that Dib paused, just listening and swaying to the beat.

When Zim stopped, Dib looked at him with an impressed smile. “Wow. Okay, you do sound pretty good. You have such a unique voice.”

“Thank you! Now you sing something.”

“Ah, I don’t know…” Dib slowly began moving again and Zim purred in pleasure. “I really only sing when I’m alone.”

“It’s just the two of us,” Zim replied.

“That’s not alone.”

Zim rolled his eyes. He adjusted, sitting up a bit. They ended up shifting their positions slightly, Dib kneeling there and Zim in his lap, riding him. It was a new and exciting position for both of them, but even as he bathed in the pleasure, Zim continued talking to him. “Well. I want to hear you sing anyway. C’mon, just a quick one. A nursery rhyme maybe. Or the chorus of your favorite song.”

Dib sighed and rolled his shoulders, chewing his bottom lip as he thought. Then he quietly began singing a song Zim recognized as the intro for an old cartoon. It was so unexpected that Zim laughed, which made Dib stop, cheeks growing hot with embarrassment.

“Yeah, see?” Dib said. “I sound terrible.”

“What? No, no, you’re not terrible at all! I only laughed because well, it’s been so long since I’ve seen that show and wasn’t expecting you to sing the theme song…”

Dib relaxed a bit at that. “I still watch it. It’s fun. Plus they don’t talk down to you like a lot of kid shows do.”

“Yeah I liked that about it. Not that I got to watch many cartoons growing up. Being in the military, most of the entertainment I saw was inspired by war. Or just straight up documentaries.”

“Man, no wonder you’re so messed up. With how many military trainees Irk has and how they get surrounded by war propaganda constantly, with all that training, the yelling… is it really so surprising if one of you snaps and goes on a rampage? Unfortunately for Irk, you’re the one who snapped. And you know how to cause serious damage.”

Zim sighed. He really didn’t appreciate this blunt assessment, but he didn’t really have an argument against it. “I never meant to cause problems like I did. It just… seemed to happen. I’ll just want to do something I think my superiors will approve of and next thing I know it all goes wrong and…” He paused and got a hold of himself before he started ranting. “Anyway, I’m glad I’m here, because I don’t think I can mess up badly enough at this job that I kill people.”

“If anyone could, it’d be you.”

Zim scowled, his affection for Dib becoming fairly balanced with irritation now. “Okay, I’m not here to be roasted.”

“But you’re just so much fun to prod.” Dib nuzzled his face. “You know, when I was told I’d be getting disgraced ex-Elite Zim as my dam, I’ll admit I was scared. I almost expected you to just refuse to do your duty and attack me or something. Or maybe you let me breed you but you yell and complain at me the whole time. But I’m glad we seemed to click.”

Zim smiled. “Me too. I figured there’s no point in being difficult. This is my job now. And I thought you looked good. So just letting you do your job felt natural. I just wish we could see each other outside of this.”

Dib nodded. “Me too.” He seemed to hesitate, then wrapped Zim into a close embrace as he sped up, thrusting so firmly and hitting him right in his sweet spot that he finished, making his insides clench so that Dib came too.

While Zim was panting and enjoying his afterglow, Dib leaned down to murmur in his antenna, “We can’t see each other but we can chat in secret if you want.”

That got Zim’s attention. He scanned the room cautiously, wondering where the cameras were and if they could read lips.

Dib kept his face where it was and said, “I know what you’re looking for. From this angle none of the cameras can see my face. There’s one on the ceiling directly above us which is why I’m looking down, and some more on the side and back walls. If you put your face against my neck when you answer, they won’t be able to tell what you’re saying.”

Zim made sure he memorized that. Then he said against Dib’s skin, “How can we chat?”

“We’ll trade PAK numbers so we can use our communicators of course. The staff here doesn’t track that unless they feel they need to start monitoring. But we can really only talk in our own rooms. Text only might be safest. If, you know… if you want.”

Zim thought about it. That would work. “If it’s that easy, why don’t more people here do it?”

Dib lifted his brows. “They do, they just don't really talk about it. As long as we keep it quiet, we can keep doing it. Because if they find a way to block the easy method, we’d have to figure out something more complicated.”

Zim nodded. “I see. Makes sense. Then yes, tell me your number, I can memorize it.”

Dib listed it off and Zim saved the number to his communicator’s contact list. Once he was done doing that, he got off Dib’s lap and laid on his back, stretching out. Dib glanced toward one of the cameras and then laid down next to him, resting his head against Zim's shoulder. It was a small touch but very comforting, and Zim leaned into the other's warmth, enjoying the moment.

Though he soon grew nervous and said, “I think we’ve spent a bit too much time talking. Does mating have a time limit?”

“Nah. You try until you’re fertilized and some pairs need quite a while, so there’s no harm if other pairs decide to screw around and talk, as long as they’re making an effort to produce eggs too.”

“Got it. Just trying to learn all the rules.”

“Relax. Things are pretty chill here. Now, did you conceive?”

Oh yeah. That was something Zim needed to check. He ran a scan, figuring it would be like last time and he would need another round, but to his surprise, he was already gravid. His eyes widened a bit when the report told him there were three eggs.

“Yes,” Zim said. His hand went to his stomach. “Three. Three eggs!”

“Wow!”

“It’s still so hard to believe I can do this, I grew up learning to take lives, to destroy, and now… now, I’m creating life.” Zim teared up a bit as he really thought about it. He got up on his knees and took Dib’s hand, pulling it to his stomach. Even though he wouldn’t show for a while, he just wanted to feel the other’s touch over his eggs. Their eggs. “We did this. We made life together. Isn’t that so cool?”

Dib smiled, rubbing his belly. “It is. I’d love to see you all round with our eggs… you should send me a picture later. It’s really cool that you’ve gone from that brutal military job to this. No more killing, no conquering. Instead, producing life. Nurturing it in your body and then letting it out into the world. Making the empire stronger. You should be proud.”

“I am,” Zim declared, wiping his eyes off. He was getting used to how emotional his new hormones made him. “And you should be proud! For being my mate and helping me have these smeets. With both of our genetics, they’re going to do great things.”

“They are. It’s just a shame that we’ll never meet them. Even if one of them ended up right back in here as a Reproducer themselves, we’d never know. Only the admin folks track blood relations to prevent inbreeding but us Reproducers aren’t told about any of that.”

Zim nodded. “Yeah. I am sad I can’t meet them. And it won’t be pleasant having to let these ones go.” He thoughtlessly rubbed his wrists again. “But we all make sacrifices to better Irk.”

“Yeah. It’s rough, but it’s necessary.” Dib looked at his watch. “Ah. Did you get a page from Jaz?”

“Hm?” Zim lifted his arm to look. Sure enough, there was a message on the pager. “She told me when I need to report for laying, but also to get a move on so the staff can clean this room.”

Dib grumbled. “Come on, Jaz, we’re trying to get romantic here. Okay, fine.” He got up.

Zim stumbled out of bed after him and the two helped each other put on their robes. They stood nervously together for a bit, neither wanting to leave first.

In the end, Zim did. He hopped up on tiptoes, kissed Dib’s cheek, and headed for the door. “See you later, Dib-mate.”

Dib watched him go, for a moment considering what things could be like for them if Zim didn’t have to rear eggs just to give them away. They could have children together. See each other any time. It would be wonderful.

But it wasn’t to be. They had to do their jobs. It was still fun to fantasize though. He finally turned and went out through his own door. He definitely needed a walk to work through his thoughts.

Zim headed right for his room and took a shower, wanting to clean the sweat off himself. Then he spent a few minutes just standing there under the spray and singing a song that was stuck in his head after singing to Dib earlier.

Only once he finished the song did he turn off the water and get out. He liked being able to take showers for as long as he wanted now but he still felt a little weird spending too long.

He dried off and went to his room to grab a fresh gown. He may go and buy some more clothes soon just for variety. The building was warm but he missed wearing pants.

Once dressed, he decided to just lay down in bed and relax, thinking about his time with Dib. He really did get matched to a nice sire. He’s heard about partners who treated it like a business transaction, no real affection for each other, just mating to make eggs and then leaving without a word. It sounded lonely. Zim preferred being able to bond with his sire.

He took his communicator out of his PAK, deciding to send a message over to Dib. He considered what he wanted to say, then typed, _Just wanted to say hi and see if this gets to you. Can’t wait to see you again._ He sent it.

He waited for an answer and worried when he didn’t get one for a while. But his PAK signaled that there was a response and he saw it show up on the screen.

_Hey, I was walking and had to get somewhere private. Your message came through fine. Looking forward to seeing you again too._

Zim smiled at that. If he had been told while he was still an Elite that he would one day care about someone like this, he wouldn’t have believed it. But now that having a relationship was an option for him, he was happy with it. This reassignment really did have a bright side to it. He sent Dib another message. _What do you like to do with your free time?_

_Read, mostly. Read and play video games, maybe browse the Internet._

Zim hummed. Seemed relaxing. Was Dib an introvert? He responded, _What do you like to read?_

_Mostly fiction, I love sci-fi and fantasy stories. Especially sci-fi written a long time ago, it’s amusing seeing what ideas people had for what the future would be like and then comparing it to what things are really like now. I also like reading science articles about new discoveries._

Dib really was quite the intellectual! Zim was very pleased to confirm that. _I don’t read much fiction but I like keeping up with scientific news too! I just like learning new things in general._

_Same, science is cool. Though I’ve always been interested in paranormal studies. Is that silly?_

Zim cocked his head. He wasn’t very familiar with the term. It sounded archaic. _Paranormal?_

_Yeah, these days it’s probably kinda seen like religion. Paranormal, supernatural, etc. Stuff like magic, mythical creatures from old legends that may or may not exist, stuff like that. I’m fascinated by the possibility there could be stuff on Irk we don’t know about or just don’t understand._

Zim blinked. Magic and mythical creatures? He saw no reason to think such things existed. But maybe Dib was just really open minded. _Sounds cool. Maybe there is stuff like that out there, but I think we’ve explored most of Irk by now._

_I know. But I still like to imagine. Like what if there’s big serpents that live in the mantle? Isn’t that so cool to think about?_

_It is cool, but I’d need proof to actually believe it._

_Yeah, there’s no real proof, just old stories. Folktales about them being the cause of volcanoes, but now we know how volcanoes actually work. Still, it’s neat to think about. Ancient irkens were so imaginative._

Zim ended up chatting with him for a while about the paranormal. Once they were tired of that topic, Zim got to talk about his interests, telling Dib about the time he spent as a researcher on Vort and the fun he had, how he got to see the initial designs for the Massive, he even got to meet Tallest Miyuki!

 _Didn’t an experiment go wrong at that lab and kill her?_ Dib asked.

Zim got a flash of memory of his infinite energy absorbing creature attacking and eating Miyuki before breaking out of the facility and escaping into space. He coughed and wrote, _Yeah that was so unfortunate. She was so nice, I wonder what things would be like if she were still here._ There was no way he was letting it get out that he was responsible for her death. Forget reassignment or even banishment… he would be executed. Especially since she wasn’t that creature’s only casualty.

There was quiet for a while, and then he got a new text from Dib. _This is probably dumb but growing up I thought Miyuki was pretty hot._

That was so unexpected it made Zim burst into laughter. It took him a few attempts to type properly before he managed to send, _Really??_

_Well yeah, she always looked so regal and beautiful, like nothing could bother her, plus her height? I had a crush on her. And I read that she was always so smart too, she could tell you about pretty much anything you asked her about. I hoped to meet her one day. But now I never will._

Zim frowned. _I’m sorry._ He has tried not to think about his fault in Miyuki’s death. But now he couldn’t get it out of his mind. How different would things be if he hadn’t let his infinite energy absorbing creature eat the infinite energy producing device? Maybe Miyuki would have kept on being the majestic and adored Tallest she was known as, and Dib could have met her.

But then, if not for that accident, Zim would likely still be working in that same lab. Never returned to military training, thus not being accepted into Invader training… no unfortunate ceremony with the new Tallest, Spork, who got killed by Zim’s pet as it returned from space hunting the pendant off its collar.

Or perhaps he would have eventually been able to return to Invader training. He could have finished top of his class and received a planet from Spork. No theatrics at the start of Operation Impending Doom I, of course not, he wouldn’t have needed to steal a battle mech if he got a planet. He would have gone to said planet.

And he wouldn’t be sitting here on a cozy bed texting an irken he cared about very much.

Maybe he has screwed up a lot. But it all brought him here. Where he was happy and had a delightful mate. He didn’t believe in karma but maybe the universe really was trying to balance things out for him. He had high hopes for his future here.


	6. Trying Something New

Zim talked to Dib for quite a while before they both decided to do their own thing, Dib saying he wanted to watch a movie and Zim wanting lunch. Once he got his food, he went to sit with Babs, who was nearly always here at the same time as him. She was always such a delight to be around.

It was interesting learning about how Reproducers who were intended for this job from birth grew up. It wasn’t decided whether they would be a sire or dam until their teenage years, once it was more apparent what their final height would be. Taller irkens had a higher chance to be a sire while the Shorters were often dams. Though even if one was tall, there was a chance they could go to a facility and be matched with someone even taller, and thus become a dam.

Reproducers were taught mostly about biology and nutrition. What the reproductive system was like, how to keep it healthy, and what to eat to ensure adequate nutrition for both eggs and themselves. In early years, Reproducers had a fairly relaxed upbringing, which would prepare them for their adult lives of being restricted to one facility until their time was served. They received a standard education like other irkens, learning basic science, history, and math, but more advanced subjects were generally seen as unnecessary. Those who did pursue them did so just for the sake of learning, knowing it wouldn’t be needed for their later duties.

It was in the teen years that Reproducers were actually encouraged to start exploring their bodies sexually. They needed to have confidence in themselves. Learn how everything works with experience, find what made them feel good so they could share it with whoever they get matched to. And since their PAKs prevented fertilization until they were officially assigned to a breeding facility, many Reproducers got hands on practice with each other too.

Zim should have expected that but it was still strange to learn. Growing up, he had been explicitly told to _not_ engage in any sort of recreational mating. Irkens led such different lives from each other.

“I wouldn’t have minded being a sire,” Babs said as they discussed the subject of their upbringings. “Part of me does like bearing eggs, and don’t get me wrong, I’m very good at it. But it’s exhausting having to give them up, knowing I’m going to want to fight for them and being unable to resist getting emotional every time. At least sires just have to get their mate pregnant and then go. They aren’t there for the laying. They don’t have to deal with that emotional roller coaster.”

The others nodded, a few muttering under their breaths about how lucky sires are.

“I’m sure they get emotional too,” Zim said. “I bet they want to be able to see us lay our eggs and want to protect us before we lay… and they can’t. And all they can do is think about us and worry when we’re apart.”

“Of course they do. But they never have to deal with being strapped down so they don’t hurt anyone while their eggs are taken.” Babs sighed, rubbing her wrists. “I practiced the sire position a few times but always sort of knew I’d become a dam. They told us a lot about what to expect from either role. It doesn’t quite prepare you for the real thing though.”

Zim nodded. He knew how that felt, but from a much different perspective. He had grown up learning many different ways to kill without being killed, but it couldn’t prepare him for the first time he went on a mission to a hostile alien planet and got shot at. It was a scary experience.

He could tell the dams at the table were getting tense over the current topic so he changed it, mentioning a movie that came out recently instead. They jumped onto the new subject pretty quickly and were soon talking about one of the actors, who was apparently widely-admired and quite attractive.

Zim wouldn’t know. He wasn’t really used to thinking of anyone as attractive until he met Dib. And he was still the only person Zim considered handsome.

He slipped his communicator out of his PAK to send another message. _Hope your movie is going well. I still miss you._ Then he put it away.

He didn’t need to take it out to read the message when Dib responded, his PAK reading it out in his mind. _It’s good so far. I miss you too._

Zim’s chest felt warm. Dib made the pain worth it.

Zim began showing after only a few days, the eggs quick to harden and cause his belly to become rounded out. Plus with all the food he had access to he was putting on weight. He had been embarrassed about it at first, as a soldier he was expected to exercise and stay in shape, and he had asked about access to fitness equipment so he could lose those pounds. The dams had laughed and assured him it was okay to put on weight here, and in fact encouraged. It was healthy, it meant he had plenty of nutrients for him and his smeets, and his body could get used to being bigger.

So he slowly came to accept it, though he still got a set of weights for his room so he could do some lifts, not wanting to lose his muscle tone. He prided himself on his strength, he could lift things several times his own weight and that wasn’t an ability he wanted to lose. Not to mention the exercise just gave him a way to pass the time. He could both work out and be confident in his changing appearance, he reasoned.

He decided to take a picture of himself a couple days before he was due to lay again. He stretched out on the bed, gravid belly very round under his gown, and snapped a photo using his communicator. Then he laid fully on his back, legs teasingly apart but gown just barely covering him as he took another. After a few moments of thought, he got a little bold and took his gown off entirely, taking a photo from his eye level looking down his body, while he cradled his stomach with an arm.

He hummed and sent the pictures to Dib with the message, _Thinking about how much I wish you could touch me right now._

It was his first time sending photos like that and he wondered what Dib would think of them. They had discussed it but maybe that last one was a bit too much?

The response he got was Dib actually video calling him. He moved the screen in front of his face and answered it. Dib was blushing as he showed up on the screen, his antennae shivering a bit. “You’re such a tease, you know that?”

Zim laughed. Dib was trying to sound annoyed but Zim could tell he liked the pictures. “So which photo was your favorite?”

He saw Dib’s hand reach forward and knew he was scrolling through them. He paused on one in particular, eyes intense as he looked it over, then he went back to looking at Zim. “Definitely the naked one. I just wanna put my hands all over you, feel that big belly… you look so good with my eggs in you.”

Zim inhaled softly, feeling a tingle between his legs. “I want you here,” he admitted, holding the communicator a bit further back so Dib could see his chest and face, letting him know that he was still undressed. His free hand roamed down his front. “I want to feel you over me, your hands on my stomach… I miss you.”

“I want to be there too,” Dib said, leaning closer to his own screen as he took in every bit of Zim that he could see. “Just wanna kiss all over your skin, mark you as mine… you’re gorgeous.”

Zim blushed, heat building between his thighs. It felt much like it did when he was getting ready to mate with Dib, but why did he feel like that now? He was already gravid and they weren’t in the room together.

“Even though you’re already with eggs, I still want to fuck you,” Dib said. Zim bit his lip as his body seemed to scream in agreement. “Just lay you out under me and get between your thighs, and I can hold your stomach while I fill you up… you’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

Zim’s roaming hand made its way between his legs and he groaned when he realized he was getting wet. “Ohh I would, I’d love that.”

Dib’s eyes darkened and his antennae moved forward for a moment. “Let me see your hand.”

“What? My…” Zim waggled his fingers toward the front of the screen and Dib shook his head.

“Not that hand. Your other one.”

It was a little embarrassing but Zim wasn’t going to ignore such a direct request from his mate. He moved his hand from between his legs to hold it in front of the screen. Fluid already glistened on his fingers.

Dib licked his lips, voice husky when he said, “Touching yourself? You’re so naughty, you can’t even wait until we see each other again?”

Zim huffed, lowering his hand again. “You were the one who started talking dirty to me.”

“Yeah, guess I was. And it got you wet that quickly? Man, I can’t wait to have you in bed again. Might have to try some real kinky stuff with you, you seem like you’d be into it. So, how horny are you right now?”

Zim considered. “Very.”

“Really? Even with eggs?”

“Even with them. Maybe even… especially with them,” Zim admitted, giving his lower stomach some rubs. “They put this sort of… pressure on me down here, and then when I think about how they’re here because of you, it just…” He shuddered and moved his fingers back between his legs, teasing himself open. “It turns me on. I want to feel you inside me so bad, giving me even more eggs… please…”

Dib made a sort of jerking motion, then paused, taking a deep breath before saying, “You have no idea how badly I want to just force my way over to the dam side of the building, find you, and take you. But I can’t. We have to stay on our own sides.”

“Fine,” Zim moaned. “Then can you stay on the phone with me while I…”

“While you get off? On one condition.”

“Name it.”

“Let me see you touching yourself. And I want you to watch me do the same.”

This was pretty new to Zim but he was into it. “Sure.” He decided to attach the communicator to a mechanical arm in his PAK so he could free up both hands, and moved the device down to about his knees, letting it get a good view up his body.

He saw Dib’s cheeks darken, eyes focusing on the way Zim’s fingers slid in and out. “Ohh that’s it, fuck, you look so good.”

Zim purred at the praise, his other hand going to his sheath and teasing for a few moments before letting his length out. He grasped it and began to pump.

“There you go, yeah, that feel good?” Dib moaned as he quickly disrobed and let himself out into his hand. “So hot, babe.”

Babe. That was a new one. Zim liked it. He moved the communicator a bit so he could still see the screen, watching Dib touch himself, unconsciously matching the pace of his fingers to Dib’s rhythm.

“Let me hear you,” Dib encouraged.

Zim had been holding it in, but he began to let himself vocalize, moaning his approval as his arousal built and pleasure filled him. Maybe this wasn’t quite as good as having Dib physically in the room with him, but it was a decent substitute. He was mostly just pleased that Dib was watching him, hearing him moan his name, and in turn he could see Dib getting more and more heated…

“I wish I could feel you, could see if you feel different while gravid, ohh fuck you just look so good,” Dib murmured. Zim could tell that he was having to use a hand to hold his communicator, and wondered if civilian PAKs had an arm to attach the device to. Maybe they didn’t. Maybe that was a military specific thing.

Still, Dib seemed to be doing a fine job working himself up with just the one hand available. Zim watched the smooth glide of his palm up and down himself, the way his fingers rubbed along the tip when he reached it and then trailed all the way back down to the base, where Dib would often swipe his thumb across his entrance before going back up.

Zim hazily wondered what it would be like to switch up some time, to go inside Dib and just give him everything he had…

He thrust his hips a little harder into his hands and closed his eyes, tilting his head back. “Nngh, oh… Dib…”

“That’s it, keep going, that’s perfect… you’re doing so good.”

“Please, just a little more,” Zim begged under his breath, close to climax already but trying to hold it off, he couldn’t lose it yet, not when his partner would have so much longer to go.

“I’ll give you more, don’t worry, I’m gonna give you everything I can,” Dib moaned.

Zim grunted and pressed his fingers in deep, thrusting onto them and wishing they were bigger, while his other hand pumped desperately against his sensitive tip, then next thing he knew he had fallen over his edge. The suddenness of it made him gasp, back lifting and thighs spreading shamelessly as he finished all over his hands.

“That’s it, I love seeing you in pleasure,” Dib crooned. Zim opened his eyes and looked at the screen, seeing that the other was intensely focused on him. Once eye contact was made, Dib tilted his screen so Zim could see the way his hand was moving along himself, the precum running down and getting his fingers slick and shiny, and Dib whimpered, “Now dirty talk to me, please…”

Zim wasn’t an expert on dirty talking but he was pretty confident that he would get Dib to finish within the next minute or so. “You look incredible, Dib-mate. I wish you were actually there above me, that big cock of yours deep inside me, letting me feel every inch of you. I’d ride you so good, you know I would, and I’d moan your name… mm, you look so amazing like this. You’re close, huh? No need to hold back. Let the pleasure overtake you. Come for me.”

“Ah… _Zim_!” Dib’s back arched as he finished, Zim watching with amazement as cum covered his front, there was so much and Zim shuddered a little thinking about how all that usually went inside him.

“Beautiful,” Zim whispered, entranced by how it glistened on the other’s skin. Things were quiet for a bit besides their deep breathing, then Dib lifted his communicator so Zim could only see his face and upper body.

Dib looked quite satisfied, his cheeks lightly flushed and antennae giving small flicks behind his head. “Heh. It’s not… quite the same doing this over the phone, but it was fun anyway.”

“It was spicy,” Zim replied, glancing around and wishing he had thought to bring a towel. He got up, keeping the screen held in front of him while he went to the bathroom to get one.

“Sure was. Though it made me want to see you in person even more. I want to snuggle with you. Just wanna curl up around you, protect you…” Dib cleared his throat, looking sheepish. “Which is dumb, right? I mean, you were an Elite, you don’t need protection.”

“Perhaps not, but that just shows you’re a good sire,” Zim said, finishing his cleaning and tossing the towel back onto its rack. “You have good protective instincts. If we could keep our eggs, well… I think you’d be a good parent.”

Dib smiled. “I don’t know, raising smeets would be a big responsibility. And I never really learned about raising them, just making them. But… I think I could learn. If I had some.”

“We could figure it out together.” Zim supported his heavy belly as he made his way back to the bed, groaning a bit once he sank down.

Dib’s antennae immediately lifted and he asked in concern, “You okay?”

“Yeah. Just… got a little more weight to heft around, but I’m good.” Zim pulled his nightgown on and sighed, resting on his side.

“That’s good. How long until you lay your eggs?”

“Two days.”

“Two days, okay. And how long will they give you to recover after three eggs?”

“Let me think… after one egg, they gave me three days. And I think they add a day for every egg after that, so I should be getting five.”

“Alright. Can’t wait to see you again.”

“I’m looking forward to seeing you too.”

They chatted for a bit longer before deciding to go their separate ways. Dib wanted to shower and Zim had some things he wanted to do online. They traded affectionate goodbyes before finally hanging up.

Zim pulled the communicator back into his PAK and sighed, moving to grab a pillow and hug it to himself. He reflected often on how different he felt now. How he used to be so proudly independent, loyal to nothing but his empire, but now he had a particular person he couldn’t get out of his mind. He was even more sure now this reassignment was also meant to be a punishment. Giving him these confusing new feelings, getting him so attached to someone who he could only occasionally spend time with... it was rough.

Not to mention the pain he went through when giving up his eggs. Pain he would have to face over and over for the next few decades. Yes, as honorable as this job was… he was sure it was supposed to hurt him. That was what the Tallest and the Control Brains wanted.

But there was nothing he could do now. Who knows what punishment he’ll face if he continues to cause problems. So he was accepting of his new place on Irk. If the empire wanted to provide him a mate, he would be happy with that mate. It was better than sulking over his lost military opportunities. He had a long but comfortable life ahead of him. He was going to embrace whatever it gave him.

Two days until he had to lay again, he thought anxiously. He really hoped it went better than before.


	7. An Eggciting Discovery

Zim didn’t bring Babs along to his second laying. Her last laying was only two eggs and she was quite embarrassed over it and currently having her fertility checked on. She was assured earlier that it was normal for clutches to vary but as a regular producer of four or more eggs, she was apparently concerned.

Zim couldn’t imagine willingly trying to have more eggs at once, but then, Babs was really proud of her job.

So he went to his appointment alone. He got the same doctor as last time, Timby, and only one assistant, whose name was Mazz.

“So, three today, correct?” Timby asked.

“That’s right,” Zim replied, nervously following him to a bed.

“Do you feel well today? Any pain?”

“I feel fine. Just nervous about, you know. Freaking out again. It’s so embarrassing.”

“It’s natural. But that’s why we have the restraints.” Timby briefly examined Zim’s wrists, then helped him up onto the bed and looked at his ankles. Mazz hooked the monitoring equipment up to his PAK to begin logging vitals.

“Pulse is a bit above normal,” she said.

“Nerves,” Zim answered.

“It’s not high enough to be a concern,” Timby said, straightening and going over to close the curtain. He already had a table with the same kind of fabric nest as before on it, as well as a cloth to clean up with.

He checked the monitor to make note of some more vitals, then asked Zim some general health questions, before deciding he was ready to begin. He began tying his arms and legs down.

Zim huffed in irritation but didn’t argue this time. He wasn’t sure he could trust his own body today. He knew what to expect but had a feeling he would still lose control.

While Mazz stayed next to him to watch the monitor, Timby took the spot between his legs, splaying them open. “Now, remember what you did last time?” He put pressure right over where the eggs were and Zim groaned at the dull pain that flared up.

“I remember.”

“Just do that again.”

Zim closed his eyes to focus on how he felt inside, using those unfamiliar muscles to push against the eggs and guide them down. They moved, the pressure more intense with three of them, but it didn’t hurt quite so much now that he was used to it. In fact, the way they felt descending from his sac and into his channel was almost pleasant, especially once those hormones began clouding his mind.

His body was stretched uncomfortably but he found he didn’t really mind, hips shifting as the eggs went down further. He was really focused on how the first one felt as it breached his entrance, and it almost surprised him when he felt the cool touch of the doctor’s fingers against him. Then he understood when he felt the other spread him open and guide the egg out, placing it in the nest.

“There, nice and easy. Just two more to go,” the other’s voice dimly reached him through the fog.

Zim clenched his fingers into the mattress as he kept pushing, a twinge of pain going through him now, but nothing unbearable. The second egg glided down his channel, the pressure on his insides almost enough to make him moan, but he bit his lip to hold it in.

It didn’t help that Timby was rubbing gently against him, more than likely just to keep him relaxed, but to Zim’s stressed body it actually felt pretty good.

The second egg left him and he clenched slightly once it was out, and he found himself thinking of Dib, wishing he was the one helping him lay, feeling his warm fingers on him… going inside him, teasing him and keeping him nice and wet so his eggs slipped right out without any problems…

He purred imagining it, working on his third egg now. His body was starting to ache from the effort but at least it was almost over and he could relax and think about what a great job he did.

This egg seemed to move through him a bit slower. He was acutely aware of its progress the whole time, squeezing against it with his body, trying to keep it going, oh he just felt so good right now…

Then it finally reached his hole and Timby helped it out, and something about the way that shell pressed along his sensitive folds and the other’s fingers brushing him just…

Zim suddenly shuddered on the bed, letting out a whimper as he had an orgasm. It surprised him and he immediately clenched his thighs together, blushing hard and snapping his head over to look at Mazz, wondering if that really just happened.

Her expression was calm though. She mopped some sweat from Zim’s face and said, “Feeling okay?”

“Fine,” he panted. “But I… I think I just…”

“Orgasmed?” Timby asked bluntly, setting the third egg in the nest and beginning to clean Zim up. “Perfectly normal, don’t worry about it.”

“Normal?” Zim exclaimed, face hot. “That didn’t happen last time, and this wasn’t sex, it was just egg laying, why… I wasn’t trying to get off!”

“Last time you were in considerably more stress because it was your first time laying. This time, you were more used to the pain so you were able to think about what felt good. We do experience hormonal surges during egg laying that are meant to make it enjoyable and bond you to your offspring. It’s nature’s way of encouraging you to have more. And from a physical perspective, well, all that pressure and movement on a sensitive part of you can easily cause an orgasm. It’s nothing to be ashamed of, it happens for a lot of people.”

The other’s calm and clinical tone did help Zim relax a bit, but he was still embarrassed that they saw him like that. “Well, noted, I guess.”

“Mazz, go ahead and take these to be processed,” Timby said to his assistant, keeping a close eye on Zim.

Zim knew what would happen. She was going to grasp the handle of that table, roll the eggs away, and they would be gone from his sight. It was necessary and he had no reason to get defensive and angry.

Yet even with those thoughts in mind, as soon as she began wheeling the table out, he snarled and instinctively strained to jump up from the table.

“Zim, please, don’t hurt yourself again,” Timby said calmly, leaning onto his chest to hold him down.

The table went past the curtain and thus out of Zim’s view, and he tried hard to just let it go, but that protectiveness still took over him and he growled, struggling. Had to get up, had to grab his eggs, all three of them were being taken! He couldn’t just let that happen! Where was his mate?

“Dib, help!” he screamed. “Our eggs, Dib!”

“It’s fine, your eggs are fine,” Timby assured him. “Relax. Or I’ll have to sedate you again.”

Zim forced himself to close his eyes and ground himself. The eggs were okay, he insisted. He didn’t need to go after them. He was trusting them to someone. They would be safe. Just relax.

Even as he told himself this, tears ran down his face, because he knew that he wouldn’t see them again. The smeets he had carried in his body were gone, off to be raised by someone else, never to be held in his arms.

“You can let me up,” he said, opening his eyes and looking at Timby.

“Are you sure?” he asked.

Zim had stopped trying to pull away from the straps. He nodded. “Yes. Please, just… let me go, I want lunch. I’ve got a hold of myself, I promise.”

Timby cautiously released one arm. When Zim didn’t lash at him, he released the other and then went down to his ankles.

Then his PAK was detached from the monitor and he was helped up. Zim straightened out his gown and groaned as his insides ached.

“You’ll have five days to recover,” Timby said, opening the curtain and escorting him toward the door. “Come see us if you experience any bleeding or other concerns.”

“Okay.” Zim briefly glanced toward where he had heard Mazz wheel his eggs, another harsh swell of sadness washing over him when he didn’t see her or them. He looked forward. “See you in a couple weeks, I imagine.”

“See you. Here, let me check your wrists real quick.” Timby checked that he hadn’t torn his skin back open, but while his wrists were a bit pink, there were no wounds. “Okay, you’re good. Make sure you eat well.”

“I will. Bye.”

“Goodbye.”

Zim left. He felt numb as he made his way to the cafeteria. At least he had gotten a hold of himself more quickly this time. He didn’t want to make things hard for the doctors that were just doing their job. He hoped that one day he wouldn’t need to be tied up at all.

He looked around the cafeteria once he entered it. Some of his new friends waved at him. He lifted a hand to wave back and headed to one of the lines for food.

He didn’t get much, as he didn’t really feel up for eating right now. Mostly fruit, which he snacked on while staring into space, sitting alone.

No one really talked to him and he got the feeling it was common for them to leave people alone right after laying. He appreciated them giving him his space. He needed it right now.

He was working on eating a tart laav fruit when Babs walked in. She had another dam at her side while she walked, but she quickly saw Zim sitting alone and frowned at him, before lifting a hand in greeting.

He acknowledged her but didn’t say anything, peeling more skin off the fruit and taking another slice out of the inside.

Babs got a tray and filled it up, then approached Zim’s table. “Can I sit with you or do you want to be alone?”

“I kinda want to be alone,” he said honestly. “But I also want to talk to someone.”

“How about this? I’ll sit way down here, and if you wanna talk, I’m here.” She took a seat and he nodded.

He was quiet for a while longer as he thought about that egg laying session. Then he gripped his tray and pulled it with him as he scooted down to sit across from Babs.

“Things were easier this time,” he said. “I still got upset and tried to get loose when they took my eggs, but it wasn’t as bad this time. I calmed down quicker.”

“That’s good. It really does get easier over time. True, you start feeling a bit hollow over time, but well… that passes too.”

Zim nodded. “Yeah. Though… there’s a little more that happened. So, um…” He considered how he wanted to ask this. Sure, they were all adults here, but was it appropriate to bring up?

...Then again the dams only one table over were actually discussing kinks right now and Babs was showing no embarrassment over it. So Zim said, “Apparently it’s… normal to have an orgasm while laying?”

He almost expected everyone to stop talking and look at him; it was a statement that certainly would have caused that in a military chow hall. But here, no one batted an eye, and Babs giggled. “Oh, did no one warn you? Yes, that can happen. Often. Usually with multiple eggs. It’s better than being in pain and personally, I like when it happens because I can usually focus on it long enough for them to take my eggs to processing without getting too upset. So hey, embrace it.”

“But it’s just so embarrassing, I mean that’s something I only want my mate to see me do, having that happen in front of doctors is just… ugh.” Zim shuddered. “I’m not attracted to them, I don’t want them to see me like that…”

“Trust me, they’re used to it. Don’t worry about them. Just think about you. How you deserve to feel good. That the pleasure is from the love between you and your mate. Your eggs are physical proof of that love and if they make you feel good, enjoy it.”

That was quite the poetic and sexy way of thinking about it. Zim nodded slightly in understanding. “Well, when you put it like that… I guess it’s not so bad.”

“Right. Just let yourself feel things, don’t overthink it. I bet Dib will be quite happy to hear that his eggs made you come. You should tell him when you see him again.”

“You think so?”

“Yep. I tell Diva everything that happens between our meetings, especially about egg laying. She likes hearing about how it felt for me to carry her eggs, to push them out of my body, occasionally reaching climax from just how good they feel.” Babs cleared her throat and chuckled at Zim’s blush. “Anyway, tell Dib everything. He’ll like it.”

“If you say so.” It seemed Zim was always learning something new about being a Reproducer. “So, how was your appointment this morning?”

“Oh, turns out I’m fine, I really did just happen to have only two eggs this past laying. It happens.”

They talked for a while longer before Zim finished his food and decided he wanted some time to himself. He said goodbye and headed to his room. Two layings down and four smeets for the empire. Many more years of his life to go. It was fine. He could do it. It would be hard, but he was willing to prove himself to be a valuable part of society.

He laid down once he got to his room, sighing and reflecting on the morning. It was definitely a learning experience. He sent a quick text to Dib just letting him know everything went well, but planned to only mention how the laying had felt once he was in bed with Dib. He wanted to use it as a turn on.

Five days until he could be with his mate again. He couldn’t wait. He spent the time going about the calm schedule he had already settled into here. Sleeping in for most of the morning, going to get breakfast and either eat there or bring it back to his room, then he would usually shower and go for a walk to stretch his legs and keep himself from becoming too sedentary. He usually entertained himself in different parts of the facility until lunch, browsing the well-stocked library or going outside, before finally going to lunch and typically hanging around with the other dams for a while. They had become quite used to him and gladly included him in their conversations. It was nice being able to talk to others in a more relaxed setting, without having to worry about rank or the chance that one wrong word could get him smacked by a Taller.

It was after lunch that he often went back to his quarters to spend some time to himself, typically browsing the Internet on the computer, watching TV, or playing games. He would chat with Dib too, usually just texting him, though they sometimes video-called just so they could see each other's faces.

They could talk for hours once they got going, just sharing details of their lives with each other, making each other laugh with childhood stories. Though Zim noticed that Dib seemed a little worried for him after telling him how often he was belittled and attacked growing up. That was normal to him and the other military trainees but those uncomfortable reactions made him wonder just how normal that was. Dib described it as abusive. Zim handwaved it, saying that irken soldiers had to be tough. But now he wasn't so sure that was the right way to go about things. He usually changed topic after such discussions, not wanting to dwell on it. Luckily, Dib was usually fine with talking of lighter things, telling him more about his interests, particularly in science and the paranormal, which was always fascinating.

There was one day where Zim curiously asked Dib about the kink to his right antenna and Dib grew noticeably embarrassed, so Zim said he didn't have to talk about it. But Dib just shrugged and said, “No, it's fine, it's just ridiculous. The education facility I grew up in had this one janky automatic door into one of the classrooms. One day I was leaving and stopped in the doorway while checking that I had everything. The door apparently didn't sense me there and came down. It got me by the antenna and yanked me down with it. As soon as it touched the floor and sensed my antenna in the way, it immediately opened again, but the damage is done.” He gingerly brushed his fingers over the bent part of the stalk. “There was some nerve damage around the root but the doctors fixed it up, said my hearing and balance and everything should be fine, there will just be a permanent aesthetic change. Reconstructive surgery would be difficult and expensive, so... I just said to leave it. I'm used to it now.”

“That must have hurt.”

“It did, but ya know, I was mostly just surprised over getting yanked to the floor, I didn't realize just how fast those doors can move. But yeah, it hurt once I realized what happened. But I learned a lesson about not standing below automatic doors and they actually replaced that particular door after the incident, so. No big deal.”

Zim found it touching that Dib trusted him enough to tell that rather embarrassing story to, and in turn shared some humiliating moments from his past, even showing off a few scars from injuries severe enough that not even his PAK's advanced healing factor could completely fix them. Dib remarked that scars looked good on him, which made Zim blush.

In the evenings, Zim typically finished his days off by getting in some exercise, lifting weights or jogging around the halls, before showering and going to grab dinner. Dinners were usually as long as lunches, the dams liking to get into more risque conversations about what they liked to do with their sires, telling stories and encouraging Zim to open up too. He was unsure about it, still not used to talking about such things, but they were understanding and assured him he didn't have to say anything he wasn't comfortable with.

He was a big talker though, so with everyone else talking about their experiences, he soon talked about his too. He's only mated twice (he really didn't count that time with Kilo) so he didn't have much to say, but they were still quite supportive and happy for him, giving him tips on what Dib might like. Everyone here was so friendly. He liked it.

After dinner, he would return to his room and spend a little more time talking to Dib or perhaps just reading, before going to bed, wanting to rest and heal from his last egg laying as quickly as possible.

Still, despite having plenty of other company and ways to entertain himself, Zim was very happy to see Dib again when the day finally came. As soon as they entered the meeting room, Zim walked faster and jumped up onto the other, hugging him tightly.

“I missed you,” he said.

“I missed you too.” Dib held him for a bit, nuzzling him as he carried him toward the bed. Then he laid him down on his back and crawled over him, both of them discarding their robes and feeling along each other.

“I’ve been so ready to feel you again,” Zim said, resting his hands on Dib’s shoulders as he examined him. “Can’t wait to have your eggs inside me again.”

“Mm, well I’ll be happy to put some in you,” he purred, drifting his fingers between Zim’s legs and beginning to tease him open.

Zim smirked, relaxing for the other and feeling his body grow warm as Dib felt inside him. “It felt so good laying the last ones. It ached of course, but once I got used to it, well. It felt so nice having your eggs moving through my body.”

“Yeah? I’m glad it felt good, I don’t like to think of you being in pain.”

“I can deal with some pain. But yeah, I’d definitely rather have the pleasure.” Zim casually reached between the other’s thighs, feeling along his sheath and soon feeling his tip poke out, rubbing back against him. He heard Dib purr. “You know, when I was laying your eggs… it felt so good I actually came.”

Dib shivered, antennae perking. Zim felt his length slide out completely, pressing to his palm, and Dib said in a husky tone, “Did you really? You actually came while laying eggs?”

“I did. Was just thinking about how much I loved you, how those were your eggs inside me, and when they were coming out it was just such a nice friction…”

Dib rocked against his hand and moaned. “That’s so dirty. I wish I could have seen you like that.”

“Maybe one day you can. When we’re older, and they release us from service here… we can stay together and have our own smeets, and you can help me when I lay my eggs. I bet it’ll feel so much better if you’re able to spread me open and help me take our eggs out…”

Dib leaned in to kiss him, pressing his fingers deep inside him. It made Zim let his own length out, wrapping it around Dib’s, and they spent a few moments grinding together. Then their lips separated and Dib said, “That would be so hot. It’ll be a long time until we can do that but I’m looking forward to it.”

“If we aren’t tired of each other by then,” Zim laughed.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of you. You’re probably the most interesting person I know. Though uh, that could just be hormones talking.”

Zim giggled. “Nah, don’t blame it on hormones. You love me.”

“Yeah, I do.” Dib moved his hips, withdrawing his fingers and lining himself up with Zim’s slit. “Ready?”

“Ready.”

Dib sank in and everything else faded out.


	8. A Bold Plan

“I don’t want to go.”

“Love, you have to-”

Zim huffed and curled up against Dib, holding him close. “I want to cuddle with you.”

It’s been a year since Zim arrived at the facility and was matched to Dib. It’s definitely been the best year of his life, but it had its ups and downs. Sure, he was healthy and well taken care of. He had a place to live, food, and a salary that allowed him to treat himself to luxuries. Most of his money just ended up going right back to the facility to support it. And along with being financially secure and safe from danger, he had a loving mate that he was very close to, who he could talk to about anything.

But there was also the repeated pain of laying eggs that he had to immediately give up without even being able to hold them. He had to be physically separated from Dib when not trying to conceive. And it was wearing on him. It had been tough right from the beginning but back then he thought he could handle it. Now, though, it felt like he was reaching his breaking point.

“It’s not fair,” he growled as he clutched Dib close, head buried against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. “It’s not fair that they would expect us to fall in love and then refuse to let us at least stay and cuddle for a while after mating! I don’t want to just walk away, I want to stay with you, sleep next to you…”

“I know. I want to stay with you too. But the rules exist for a reason. We need to be kept apart. Mates can get very protective of each other and make aggressive escape attempts if we get too close.”

“So I’ve heard. But I don’t think that’d happen, I’ll happily keep living here with all the benefits, I just want to be able to be around you more!”

“We can still video chat.”

“I know, but that doesn’t compare to actually having you in the same room, being able to touch you and smell you…”

“I know. But it’s all we can do. We don’t want to get in trouble. They can reassign us.”

Zim stared at him with worry. “Like… match us to new mates?”

“Yeah. They try to keep that as a last resort, they verbally counsel or revoke some privileges first for failing to follow instructions, but if they think you’re getting a little too cozy with your mate and considering acting out to get close to them… yeah. They can assign you a new partner.”

“After you, I don’t think I’d ever want someone else.”

“Me neither. Which is why we need to do what we’re told.” Dib looked at him sadly. “We can’t stay in here. We need to move along.”

Zim still clutched him for a while longer, imagining being able to spend hours with him like this, or even a whole night. It would be so nice. He would pay anything to be able to sleep in Dib’s arms.

But finally he pushed himself up, climbing out of bed and going to grab his robe. He held his stomach as he thought about his current clutch. His PAK had reported that there were five. His biggest yet. According to the doctors, his smaller stature was why he generally only had four or less at once. He received reports occasionally on the status of his smeets. Very vague information, nothing about what they were named or what job they were assigned to, but he was told their general health and disposition. So far not a single one has been lost to complications. All developed with no problems. They were healthy and apparently many were notably energetic and intelligent. He was proud to hear that, but still wished he could meet them.

And now he was about to provide five more. He figured it was just luck, though he has grown a few inches since getting here. He was stockier too now, still trying to work out when he could but also having built a nice layer of fat from the regular meals and the frequent periods of being gravid. He had been self-conscious about it at first, but the other dams were very supportive and said it meant he was growing into a healthy Reproducer body. His eggs would need all those nutrients he had stored and the fat kept them nice and incubated until they were ready to be laid. So he was fine with his appearance now. Especially with how clearly attracted to him Dib still was, maybe even more so now that there was physical evidence of their lovemaking.

Zim headed for the door but looked back as he opened it, giving Dib a longing gaze that the other returned. Then they went their separate ways.

Zim clutched at his arms as he walked, head down and staring at the floor, not talking to anyone he passed. He could feel tears stinging his eyes but refused to shed them. Not now, at least.

He held it in until he got back to his room, at which point he finally let out a sob and went to lay down, crying against a pillow. He cried a lot these days. He was on antidepressants and regularly talked to the other dams about how to cope with being separated from his mate, but he still often found himself feeling so bad that crying was his only release.

It wasn’t right. This wasn’t right for them to do to him and all the other workers here. If he was this miserable, he knew the others had to be too. He wanted out. He wanted out so badly, wanted to just take Dib and leave with him…

He didn’t know where they’d go. There were very few places they could go without being tracked down. But he fantasized anyway, imagining living with him on a distant planet, being able to sleep in his arms, play games and cook with him, just hang out in physical contact. No screen between them. It would be wonderful.

And they could have a family. They could keep their eggs and raise them as their own. Zim felt like he and Dib would be good parents.

He began to consider what it would take to escape the facility. Getting out alone wouldn’t be hard. Getting out with Dib would complicate matters. Then there was the need to get off Irk entirely… Zim didn’t have his spaceship anymore. It was taken after his reassignment. He would have to steal one. Maybe he could set up a time for him and Dib to escape outside and have a cab pick them up? There were plenty of interplanetary services he could hire…

He kneaded the pillow slightly, swallowing. Was he really thinking about this? Things got a little rough and he was considering abandoning his job? This was where Irk needed him. Leaving it was selfish. It was placing himself above the entire rest of the empire.

But… part of him didn’t care about that. He wanted to be selfish and follow his own desires even if they didn’t match the empire’s needs.

...Maybe he was defective.

He took a tablet out of his PAK, sliding the stylus out of it. This device had a direct connection to his PAK and no one else could access its memory. This was the safest way for him to write down his thoughts without it being discovered.

He opened a blank word document and just started writing, the tablet automatically changing his handwriting into his favorite font. He detailed his thoughts and his desire to leave, not really intending to make it a plan, just wanting to vent.

Even so, he eventually found himself writing out ideas for how he could pull it off. He was always a very creative thinker. His superiors said he was a little too clever for his position. Young soldiers were expected to listen and obey. He was headstrong, talking back to superiors, attempting to assert control far above his rank and criticizing tactics. He got reprimanded often even when he was right, as his superiors didn’t appreciate being corrected by a low ranking, short soldier in front of others.

But it assured Zim of what he’s always known. He was smart. He could find solutions others were too rigid in their thinking to figure out. And if he really wanted to, he knew he could find a way to get out of this facility with Dib and live his own life.

There were planets outside Irk’s control. Where he wouldn’t be followed. He and Dib could start a new life on one of those planets. Join in with the people who lived there. It would be tough, they would be leaving behind so many comforts, but it would be worth it to be together and raise a family.

Zim sighed and set his stylus down for a bit, staring at what he already had written. He really was putting more thought into this than he should. What was his deal? Why did he always rebel against what Irk wanted him to do?

His PAK pinged him. He was getting a call from… Babs? He took his communicator out and answered it.

Her face showed up on the screen. “Hey! You busy?”

Zim glanced at his tablet then said, “No, what’s up?”

“So I just spent time with Diva and guess what? Nine!” she said excitedly. “We’re gonna have nine eggs this time!”

Zim would normally have asked why she couldn't just tell him at lunch, but he knew how excited she got over her eggs. “Congrats! That’s your biggest one, right?”

“Yeah! It’s a new record and I think I’m gonna have cake today to celebrate! I’ve just been letting everyone know.”

“Thanks for telling me. Since you shared, I’ll share too,” Zim said. “I have five this time.”

“Oh! You haven’t gotten higher than four until now, right?” He nodded and she grinned. “Congrats! You’re really making your contribution to the empire. Five eggs is quite a bit for someone of your height but you’ve got this.”

“Of course.” Zim rested a hand on his stomach. “It’ll be no problem, I’ve gotten used to four, what’s one more little egg, huh?”

“That’s the spirit. Next thing you know you’re gonna be having five regularly and thinking oh, six will be no problem… and you'll realize how far you’ve come from that single first egg you had a year ago.”

“Yeah. Wow.” It was pretty amazing to think about. But it also made him feel a little empty inside thinking about all those eggs that have come and gone. He knew they had no connection to him beyond being nurtured in his body, but he still wished he could meet them and see how they were doing. He hoped they were all as smart as his sire.

“I’ve got some more calls to make so I’ll let you go,” Babs said. “Talk to you later!”

“Talk to you later,” Zim said. She hung up and he sighed, putting the communicator away and looking back at his tablet. She was so much more at ease with this job than him. She was meant for it, born for it. He wasn’t. He wanted to leave this place, be free to run around and be with Dib whenever he wanted.

His thoughts wandered toward the planet Venesia. It was outside the empire’s territory and had the military capability to fend off any attacks from irkens. The race who lived there was peaceful but understood the necessity of a powerful fighting force when traveling the universe. So if necessary, they would destroy any hostiles they encountered. Irk had formed an alliance with them rather than exhaust ships and troops trying to fight them. Venesia had used this to their advantage. They made a bold deal. Irkens would not attempt to conquer, siege, or otherwise harm their planet. In return, Venesians promised to provide precious gemstones and materials from their planet that could be used in irken technology. Venesia would also be a neutral zone from any irken politics or laws. Any alien setting foot on their planet would be protected and beholden only to Venesian laws.

Irk had accepted the deal. It seemed like irkens really came out on top, they didn’t have to send anything back to the planet, they just put them into an allied status with an understanding that they would never send military forces or even an Invader there. Who cared about that one particular planet anyway, it wasn’t strategically located. Ignore it and get free shipments of resources from them? It was an excellent arrangement.

But it soon became apparent what else the deal allowed for. With Venesia as a neutral zone, aliens from all over could seek refuge there. They could flee authorities on their own planets, make a case for living there, and either be allowed or rejected. If allowed, no one from their home planet could come get them. They were safe.

Which meant irkens could go there too. Irkens who weren’t loyal to the empire, who wished to live their own lives, could move to Venesia. Mostly it was defectives, those who simply couldn’t mesh with the irken lifestyle and so escaped to avoid execution. Others were just normal people who wanted to take charge of their own futures instead of being programmed for one career and not being allowed to deviate. Others still were like him, he has heard. They fell in love and ran away to be together.

Venesia welcomed any irken with open arms provided they weren’t violent criminals. There was a thriving community there, Zim has heard. Well, his own planet considered them traitors and the news spoke of refugees living in squalor there and trying to prove themselves trustworthy to a planet that doesn’t really like them. But Zim knew that was propaganda. Venesia was a paradise and those who went there were treated kindly no matter their species.

He and Dib could go there. They would be accepted as citizens. Their PAKs were programmed with the language so they would be able to communicate right away.

Zim wrote more of his plan. Was he really going to do this? It would take a lot of skill to evade capture long enough to get there. But if he had an agile enough ship, maybe he could pull it off. And he wanted to go there. He wanted it so bad.

Then it occurred to him. How would Dib feel about all this? Would he even want to go?

Zim gazed into space, chewing his lip. Dib seemed pretty happy here. Like Babs, this was what he had prepared his whole life for. He had probably mentally accepted it was what he was meant to do. If given the choice to leave Irk and abandon this comfortable life, he might not choose to.

Zim wouldn’t go alone. The whole point was to be with Dib. If it turned out this was where Dib wanted to stay, he would stay too.

But it wouldn’t hurt to call and ask, right?

Zim took a breath and then took his communicator back out to message Dib, _Can you please video call me when you get the chance?_

After a few moments, the other replied, _Sure,_ and the screen displayed an incoming call. Zim answered and saw that Dib was sitting at his desk in his room, snacking on chips. “What’s up?” Dib asked.

Zim fiddled with his tablet and replied, “I just wanted to talk. I got this idea earlier and was wondering if it’s even feasible, or if you’d be interested in going along with it.”

“Okay. What idea?”

“Well…” Zim took a breath and cautiously asked, “Have you heard of the planet Venesia?”

Dib nodded. “Yeah, it’s one of our allies. They’re more advanced than us, I think. At the very least we weren’t able to conquer them so we became an ally instead.”

“Yes. Venesia struck a deal with Irk. We give up attempts to go to war with them and let their planet be neutral territory from our laws, and they’ll send us some resources. Mostly minerals and crystals, as they have huge caverns of them but don’t really use them anymore because they make synthetic versions.”

“Makes sense. Seems like a good deal for Irk.”

“It is. But there’s a catch. We have no influence over Venesia. If say, someone were to go there and Irk wanted to capture them, we couldn’t. They could send a police force packing. So it’s become a safe planet for irkens looking to get away from here.”

“Ohh right, I have heard about people going there to get away from Irk. That takes some serious bravery, to not only realize how unfair the system is here, but to escape from it.”

Zim’s antennae raised a bit. Did Dib seem impressed by that? “Yeah, a lot of bravery. Maybe Irk has its faults but it’s still familiar. Leaving it behind for a completely new planet? That must be scary.”

“Yeah. But it was probably worth it to them.”

Zim still wasn’t sure if he should propose leaving, but oh well, what was the worst that could happen? So he said, “Would you ever consider going to Venesia with me?”

Dib stared at him. The bag of chips was put aside and he swallowed, glancing around before quietly saying, “Go to Venesia? You mean abandoning Irk.”

“Sure, it sounds bad when you say it like that, but yes. I’m… damn it, I’m defective, it’s pretty much known to everyone, it just hasn’t been confirmed through trial. But I know I am. I think about things I shouldn’t, I behave irrationally and do things independent of what my PAK tells me to do… I don’t belong here on Irk. I’m a gear in the machinery, yes, but a warped one. One that can only work for so long before breaking everything around it. I need to leave Irk. For my own safety and everyone else’s. Dib, please. Join me and escape to Venesia with me. We’re replaceable in the empire’s eyes, but not to each other. I want to live with you. So, what do you think?”

Dib was silent for a few moments, his expression unreadable. Then he said, “I think you don’t quite realize what you’re suggesting. If we tried to leave and failed, do you have any idea what they’d do to us? It would be obvious we were trying to go rogue. They would punish us severely. We could face imprisonment or even execution. Is that a risk you want to take?”

“It’s worth it,” Zim replied. “Of course I wouldn’t go through with it without having high confidence in us actually getting away. I was in the military, I know how to operate ships and navigate space. I can evade capture. As long as I get my hands on the right vessel, I can get us to Venesia.”

“Yeah. The right vessel. Which one? How would you get it?”

“We could use one of Irk’s interplanetary taxis. One of the unmanned ones, and once inside, I can hack into it and take manual control and then we could go!”

“In a taxi? Zim, come on, it wouldn’t have any defenses if we got shot at.”

“No but they’re very small and thus a difficult target to hit. And quite maneuverable too with a fairly low heat signature compared to other ships.”

Dib sighed, rubbing between his eyes. “You’ve put a lot of thought into this, huh?”

“I have. Look, I… I understand if you think it’s too risky. And if you want to stay, I’m going to stay right here with you. But I want to be able to go somewhere and start a family. See you every day, hold you as long as I want, without these dumb pagers dictating our schedules. So if you ever do want to run, I have a plan.”

Dib gave him a sad look. “I would love more than anything to escape to Venesia with you. But I’m not sure I want to take that risk. You’ve been out of the military for quite a while now, and you’ve been reprogrammed, what if you’ve lost the skills you need to get us all the way out there? I don’t want to be negative but I’m just trying to be realistic. Are you really so sure you could do it? Get us both out of here, into a ship, and all the way to Venesia without being shot?”

“I’m not completely sure,” Zim admitted. “But I’m confident anyway. Are there armed guards here?”

“No but they can be called in from the city very quickly.”

“How quickly would a dam be seen as suspicious if they went down to the first floor?”

“Very quickly if you don’t have an appointment, there’s cameras everywhere down there.”

“When you take the central elevators down to the first floor it takes less than a minute to get out of the building though. We could make like we’re going to meet up on our normal schedule… and instead just go to the center, take an elevator down, and run. I can hire a ship and have it waiting for us outside. It can be set to immediately take us into Irk’s orbit, that will buy me time to hack it while the guards down here organize and get their own ships that can follow us, as they most likely only have in-atmosphere ships. Then once I get control I immediately take us into hyperspace and we’re home free!”

Dib pondered it. “It sure sounds easy when you say it like that but I’m still not sure. It’s such a rash decision, I mean these pagers have trackers, we’ll be noticed as soon as we take the elevator down…”

“Okay, better idea. We head to the center. I pick you up and use my PAK legs to break through a second floor window and we jump out.”

Dib stared. “Just jump out. Seriously?”

“Of course. My PAK legs are calibrated to handle incredible falls while absorbing all the impact and doing no harm to myself. I’d like to see anyone catch up to us after doing that, haha! As for the pagers, we rip them off as we’re jumping out and toss them.”

Dib checked out the strap of his pager. “Hm, I guess they aren’t really locked shut, they just trust us to wear these. But okay, fine, so we can probably get out of the building together. And then? You plan to just have a taxi parked outside?”

“Sure, we’re in a city, it wouldn’t be weird.”

“You’d have to get that timing perfect. Facilities like this are heavily monitored. If that taxi loiters too long outside without anyone getting in or out it’s gonna be investigated.”

“No problem. I’ll definitely have it come down within a minute of our escape. We can jump right in, merge with traffic for a bit, and then take it up through a space lane and through the atmosphere! Perhaps I’ll request it take us into Irk’s ring, that’ll be a good place to hide while I hack it.” Zim was writing on his tablet as he worked all this out.

“And you’re sure you can hack something like that?” Dib asked.

“Easily. I’ve always been highly skilled with computer systems. An interplanetary taxi guidance system is nothing.”

Dib considered that. “I really want it to work. I want to leave with you. But I don’t want to go through with that plan right now.”

Zim frowned at him. “Why?”

“You’re gravid right now. At least wait until after you lay our current eggs. Then, maybe… like you said, we can leave when we’re expected to mate again. But we should sleep on it too. This is… a lot.”

Zim put the tablet away. “I totally understand. We can discuss this more later.”

“Yeah. I think I should go, I gotta think about this.”

“Me too. Talk to you tomorrow?”

“Sure. Call me whenever. See you.”

“Bye.” Zim hung up and sighed, looking up at the ceiling. Dib took it fairly well. Now he just hoped he actually wanted to go through with it.


	9. Dib's Decision

Zim had a single message on his communicator when he checked it the next morning before breakfast.

_I’ll do it._

Zim grinned. Excitement raced through him. Dib wanted to escape with him. They could start a life together. He began going through his plan in his mind. Their meeting time for their next mating session would be very specific thanks to Jaz’s scheduling. It would be so easy for him to hire a taxi to show up a minute before he and Dib were due to meet. Then he would simply take his lover in his arms and jump outside…

This was an extremely rash plan, though. He had to make sure Dib was committed to it. So he texted, _You sure? I don't want you to feel pressured to do it just because I want to. If you want to stay here, I'll stay with you._

Dib sent back, _I would be content to stay here. But I know this life is wearing you down. I want you to be happy. So if you're sure this plan will work, I will run away with you._

 _Everything will work out perfectly,_ Zim assured him.

_I know it will. I trust you._

Zim got up and headed for the cafeteria, feeling light and bubbly. It was happening. He was going to leave here with his mate. It was going to be wonderful. Challenging, but wonderful having freedom at last.

He gave cheerful waves to whoever he passed. He wished he would be able to give them a proper goodbye, but he couldn’t risk any of them reporting him. He was close to many of the dams but they were all instructed to report any signs of rebellion.

Once he had grabbed a plate of food for breakfast, he sat down with Babs. She had only recently mated again so she wasn’t quite showing yet, but he knew those nine eggs would make her quite round once the shells hardened.

They greeted each other and congratulated each other on their current clutches, then Zim dug into his food. His nerves were still jittery over Dib agreeing to run away with him, so eating was difficult, but he forced himself through each bite. His eggs needed it. And he had to keep his own strength up.

“Oh yum, is that a cheese omelet?” Babs asked. Zim nodded and she said, “I was so tempted to get one but I decided on a melt. Hm, maybe I’ll go back for an omelet too.”

“Easy now, you’ve still got half that melt to go through,” Hal teased.

She scoffed and gave him a playful swipe with her claws. “Hey, I’ve got nine hungry smeets to feed!”

The others chuckled. Zim did too, but soon quieted and stared into space as he ate. He and Babs became gravid at around the same time which meant they would likely go lay at the same time. But then she would be given a much longer recovery time than him. She wouldn’t be there when he and Dib made their escape, and depending on how it gets reported, might not ever know what really happened to them. He’s grown attached to her in the year he’s been here, she’s helped him through so much, she deserved to know where he went.

He decided he would tell her the day before he left. Maybe even hours before he left. He didn’t think she would report him, but at the very least, he wanted to leave her little time to actually do so if she did.

After breakfast, Zim headed over to one of the lounge rooms that had a large window and just spent a while gazing at the sky. He was thinking about the path he would have to take to get to Venesia from here. It would be a long journey. But it would be worth it as soon as they had their freedom.

He pondered what hazards they could face along the way besides pursuing irken forces. The trip was through a lot of empty space. They would pass a few stars that Zim could use for a gravity boost. He knew that just before the best hyperspace jump point, there was a dense field of rocks and other debris from a long dead planet. It was a small solid planet that the Irken Empire had used as target practice many years ago when developing the main cannon that would eventually go onto the Massive. Vort had sent the schematics and requested additional testing. Irk had swiftly put together the weapon and then shot an uninhabited planet to test the capabilities. It had ripped the entire planet apart. Satisfied, Irk gave Vort the go ahead to use the cannon for the ship.

The remains of that planet were easily navigated around but for those who dared diving into the chunks of the planet, it served as a wonderful hiding place. One could swoop in, all the way to the surface, and find a cave to hide in while powering off all systems. Their ship would be nearly impossible to find in the thousands of miles of surface area spread across all the debris.

Zim planned to use that debris as his and Dib’s hiding place. He would shake Irk’s forces there, then use a hyperspace jump to put them lightyears away, after which it was an easy, if boring, several day trip to Venesia.

This was going to work. It had to work.

He got up, stumbling a bit and groaning as he straightened his back. His current clutch was already putting some strain on him. He held his stomach and looked sadly down at it. He would have to give these ones up too. But they would be the last. After this, he would never again have to see his eggs getting wheeled away and taken to who knows where. Any eggs he has after this will be his. He and Dib could raise a family together.

He purred at the thought. He wondered how big of a clutch they would have together once they’re free. He felt like he wanted to start kinda small, maybe two or three smeets. But in the end it would be up to nature.

It was quite a while until lunch. He wasn’t sure what to do until then but figured he could just walk around and entertain himself. He moved around the dam side of the second floor, gazing out the windows to check out the city from different angles. He wanted to go out there and walk around. He wasn’t usually one for window shopping but he kinda wanted to now. Just explore the city, see if he could find any interesting sales, maybe try a new restaurant. But he was stuck in here. And it wouldn’t be long before he was leaving Irk permanently.

The irkens walking by down below paid the facility little attention. Whether they were hurrying to get to work or just strolling along with friends, they barely looked up at the windows. He wondered if anyone ever stopped and wondered if they were conceived in this place. Zim himself sometimes thought about the same thing. Which mated pair produced him? Could he have come from this very facility, or a distant one closer to where he had grown up in that underground military complex? He wasn’t sure how eggs were distributed to the smeeteries once they were taken. That whole aspect of the process was a mystery to him. He supposed he could research it but he didn’t really care to.

Zim was at a window that looked toward a rather popular malt shop when he saw someone on the sidewalk across the street glance up and notice him. They looked to be close to his age, and they nudged their friend and pointed. The two examined him and Zim gave a small wave, wondering what they were thinking.

The two waved back and then quickly walked away, but he caught them snickering.

Zim rolled his eyes and walked away too. Sure, it was easy to laugh, but they could have easily been assigned to this job.

His wandering took him toward the center of the building where all the meeting rooms were. He evaluated the distance from the hallway around to the center elevators, beyond which the sire half of the building lay. And in the neutral area of the elevators, there was a window. That would be his target.

He casually headed over there. He didn’t look around for cameras; that would be suspicious. He just slowly approached the window and looked out like he’s been looking out all the other windows, hopefully no one thought strangely of it.

He tapped the window curiously. It didn’t seem especially thick. Of course, no one who worked here besides him had PAK legs. It was far too risky for anyone else to try and break the glass to jump. He checked which road was closest to this window. Yep, Ulme Ave, that was what he thought. He made a mental note of it for when he hired the taxi.

This window didn’t have a ledge or seat like many of the others did so he soon moved along. His ankles tended to start hurting when he stood too long. That was something he was trying to avoid with regular exercise but it still happened with many of his clutches. He decided to go back to his room and sit for a while.

He sank onto the couch in the living room, turning on the TV. He ignored the news channel that was currently talking about the latest jumpball rankings and opened his movie library. A movie and then lunch, and he’ll figure out the rest of his day after that.

Zim’s body was buzzing with nerves as he headed for his egg laying appointment. This was going to be his last one. The very last time he would have to be miserable as they took his smeets from him. After this, it would just be he and Dib raising a family together.

He tried to stay lighthearted as he met with the doctor. Two attendants ended up joining, he figured because of how large the litter was.

They congratulated him and he thanked them, following them to an open bed. He hopped in without prompting and got comfortable on his back, automatically holding his arms and legs out toward the restraints.

“Think you’ll need them?” Timby asked.

“Probably not but just in case,” Zim replied.

The other loosely tied him down. Zim has greatly improved his self control but still sometimes lost himself to his instincts just long enough to lash out at anyone near him, so it was just safer for him to be tied down.

Once there was a cart with a big enough nest prepared for his eggs, Zim was given the go ahead to start laying. It was pretty easy for him now, it hardly even hurt. Rather, he let himself think about what felt good about it. He didn’t really get embarrassed anymore if he orgasmed when having his eggs. It was a welcome distraction.

He was trembling after only two eggs but told himself to hold on. It was best if he let himself finish after the last egg, that way they could take the cart away while he was still enjoying the afterglow.

The third egg moved through him and he began to ache from the strain, but it still didn’t feel that bad.

He got that egg out and began working on the fourth. Usually this would be it, but he had a whole fifth one he’d have to lay too.

He was getting tired already. He pushed through it though, letting himself appreciate the pressure of Timby’s fingers between his legs, how it felt each time the other spread him open and guided an egg out of him and placed it in the nest. Then he felt the fifth at last, descending from where it had been cozily incubating and moving through his body. He breathed deeply, tensing up as warm pleasure spread through him, and he closed his eyes and thought about how much he loved when Dib impregnated him and he couldn’t wait to have the other inside him again…

“Aah,” he groaned as he came, pushing the last egg out along with a small amount of lubricant. He slumped back, panting and starting to reach to wipe his forehead off, but his hand was stopped by the wrist strap. Right, still tied down.

“Good job,” Timby said. Zim heard rustling and then the other was cleaning him.

“Thanks,” Zim said wearily, keeping his eyes closed and savoring the pleasure in his body. Just focus on it. Don’t pay attention to anything else. Eggs? Those were fine.

He heard the squeak of wheels and then the cart was being taken away. He sighed, heart heavy. The eggs were fine, sure. But they were no longer his.

Zim only opened his eyes once he was sure the cart was gone, looking at Timby, who seemed impressed.

“You really have gained excellent self-control,” he said, releasing the straps.

“Thank you.” Zim pulled his arms and legs back in, massaging them for a bit before carefully getting down from the table. He was rather sore after that one but it was nothing his usual pain relief couldn’t handle. Timby asked him about his pain levels anyway, checking if he was dizzy, before finally telling him he would be good to mate again in eight days.

Zim nodded and left the room. He glanced around when he did, wondering when Babs would arrive. She became gravid not too long after he did so her appointment had to be soon. Nine eggs! Maybe he should be there to see her through it.

But then, she had lots of friends. He was on good terms with her but would she want him there when there were so many others that could enjoy the occasion with her?

He decided to just send her a text wishing her luck with her delivery. She thanked him and asked about his, and he said it went well. Five eggs really wasn’t much worse than four, his body was very used to the process now.

_I’m so glad to hear that! Did you just get done?_

_I did. Walking back to my rooms now._

_Do you want to be there for my laying? It would mean a lot to me._

Zim hesitated. _You sure? There’s so many dams that I’m sure would love to see that, and they only allow a few visitors._

_I’m sure. My friends have all supported me a lot but I want you there. If you want to come, that is. No pressure._

He wasn’t sure how many more times he would see her before he escaped. He agreed to accompany her. She told him the time. It was in a few hours, so he decided to take a short nap.

He was yawning by the time he made it back to his rooms. He gladly climbed into bed, setting the alarm on the clock to thirty minutes before Babs’s appointment. Then he closed his eyes and relaxed, a hand drifting down to his stomach. Eight more days and then he’ll be free. He couldn’t wait.


	10. A Sincere Chat

The nap was quick but refreshing. Zim felt well-rested when the alarm went off and he changed into a fresh shirt and some shorts for the walk over to the medical area, wanting something a little different than the typical gown.

He met up with Babs as she was coming out of her own rooms and she gave a little wave, falling into step next to him.

“Oh you always look so good after a laying,” she commented, checking out his stomach. “It’s like you lose two sizes! Me, I just keep seeming to get bigger and bigger.”

“Smeet weight looks so good on you, though,” Zim said.

She giggled and bumped her hip against his, which nearly slammed him to the wall. “Oh, sorry!”

“I’m fine.” He rubbed his hip.

“I’ve got so much heft today, look at this!” She exaggerated her steps, swinging her belly from side to side and lifting it slightly in her hands. “Nine whole eggs! I still can’t believe it.”

“So how long until you and Diva have ten?” Zim asked.

She chuckled. “I don’t know. I kinda want to break this place’s record but eight is already enough to leave me hurting for a week. Nine is going to be tough. And ten? I can barely imagine it. Though I guess after this laying I’ll be a little closer to understanding.”

“Yeah. You can do it, though. You’ve got egg laying down. You’re probably the most productive dam here.”

She blushed. “I’ve got the advantage of having been here a while, I’m sure the others will catch up.”

“With your big clutches? They’ll have to really work for it. You’ve contributed so much to the Irken Empire and I admire that about you.”

“Aw, you’re such a sweetie.”

“And I just wanted to say… Thank you for how much you’ve helped me. It was strange starting out here, I wasn’t sure how things worked, but you were always there to give me advice. Good advice. I didn’t always have that before, so… thank you.” Zim didn’t like admitting to any kind of struggle but he wanted to be honest with her about the impact she’s made on him during his year here.

And she beamed in response, wrapping him into a hug. “That’s what I love to hear! I want all my fellow dams to know I’ll always help them. I know you big strong soldier types were always expected to figure stuff out for yourself, or you get it yelled at you, so I wanted to make sure I was super nice to you! What better way to introduce you to how different our lifestyles are, huh?”

“Yeah. I appreciate that. It’s almost unfair how different our lives are based on what we’re assigned before we’re even aware, huh?” Zim said it lightly, not really thinking about how treasonous that line of thought was, but he was swiftly reminded when Babs went still. Her arms were still around him but she wasn’t squeezing anymore. Zim’s heart skipped a beat. “Uh. Oh, I mean, not unfair, just… just interesting and well, when I say unfair I just mean the assignments get programmed mostly at random so…” He trailed off, not sure how to salvage this. All he could do was see what the other said.

Babs took a breath and slowly pulled him close again, whispering, “It’s quite unfortunate how different roles are assigned, yes. Some get funneled into easy, cushy jobs when maybe they wanted something challenging. Others, who are small and sensitive, find themselves subjected to constant abuse and screaming as they’re trained for the military.” Zim tensed and she rubbed his back. “Was that life for you?”

Relieved that she wasn’t chewing him out for his traitorous thoughts, he replied, “It wasn’t all abuse and screaming. Sometimes we got to have ice cream for dinner and a day off every month or so for personal time…” He shook a bit, though. His upbringing was awful. The best parts of it was when he was able to sit and learn in a classroom setting, but those occasions were rare. Otherwise there was exercise, marching, marksmanship with several different weapons, hand to hand combat training… and being one of the shorter irkens in his training squadron, he got singled out by the sergeants often. Even when he put in his best effort to do what they demanded, they would find something to yell at him for and even smack him to the ground if he didn’t respond appropriately. Sometimes he could still hear those loud, shrill screams…

Zim shuddered and clutched Babs’s back. “It did get bad though. I was taught to be proud to serve Irk and I fought hard to complete my training and carry out assignments, but sometimes… I did wish I could have chosen for myself who to be.”

“And I bet this still doesn’t fit, huh?”

“I’m happy here,” Zim said. It wasn’t a lie, being a Reproducer had its downsides but if Dib had wanted to stay, Zim would have found a way to be content here.

“Yes, but I think you’d be happier somewhere else, huh?”

Zim couldn’t believe he was having this conversation with Babs of all people. She was very devoted to her job and he would have taken her for a loyalist. She was always open-minded but this was going further than he expected. Should he keep talking or stop before he revealed something she would have no choice but to report?

Babs stepped back from the hug and gestured for them to keep walking. They did, Zim saying quietly, “Maybe. It’s nice to think about a change of scenery and a different career. But I’m okay with this. What about you, did you ever want to do something else?”

“Nope. From the moment I opened my eyes and my PAK was programmed, I was ready for my eventual job. I read the title of Reproducer with pride. I was happy to be alive and I wanted to create more life, and that never changed as I grew and learned about the importance of our role.” She set her hand on Zim’s shoulder. “But I understood I was lucky. There were others in my class who I could tell weren’t pleased with their assignment. But as we all must, they kept quiet about it and did what they had to do. What we all must do for Irk.”

Zim nodded. “I know that feeling well.”

“And sometimes, if people wanted to talk about how they wished things were different, well… I always thought they should be allowed to vent. I would never report that, it shouldn’t be illegal to question things.”

Zim agreed. “Right. Neither of us are planning to do anything rash. We’re just talking about what ifs. Nothing wrong with that.”

“Exactly. Though we might wanna zip it, we’re almost to the medical center. Don’t want some motormouth narc walking by and hearing us and going right to Kilo.”

“Would they do anything to you if they overheard this?” Zim asked.

“Hard to say. They like me and I’ve never really caused problems so they might just do one of those dumb verbal counselings over how I need to watch what I say in public, don’t wanna make people think I’m a rebel, blah blah blah… it probably wouldn’t amount to much. But I’m worried about you. You’ve already gotten into a lot of trouble all over Irk and even on other planets. You’ve got quite the criminal record and you’re on thin ice with the Tallest. So if you’re heard talking about this stuff… they might take you to one of those awful trials for defects, and find you guilty,” she said. “I would hate to see them hurt you, and I know they would, the punishment for defects is death.”

Zim felt a chill. He knew that but it made it seem so real hearing her describe it. “It is. I have to avoid that. I have too much at stake here. I mean after so many years of my life I actually have something to live for. My mate.”

“Right. So be careful, okay honey? For his sake.”

Zim swallowed. It felt like a lump was stuck in his throat. “Yes. Of course.”

They didn’t talk much more until they got to the medical center. Zim opened the door for Babs and she thanked him, strolling in and calling, “Dr. Timby, I’m here!”

The doctor greeted her and led her to a bed, and Zim took a spot near her head as she was secured and a monitor hooked up to her PAK. She gave a little wiggle and sighed, cheeks flushing. “This is such a big day.”

“It is, this is your biggest litter yet,” Timby said, checking her vitals on the screen. “Now like I always say for your larger clutches, there’s no need to rush. It may take a while but I want you to focus on laying these eggs slowly and carefully.”

“Okay,” she chirped.

It occurred to Zim that despite how long he’s been here, he’s never actually watched someone else lay eggs. He was almost curious to see how it looked from the doctor’s angle, but he decided not to go over there. He wanted to give Babs her privacy.

Still, when Timby gave the go ahead and she started pushing, Zim’s eyes still flicked toward her trembling knees before returning to her face.

She met his eyes, mouth open slightly as she breathed deeply, but she didn’t look pained. “You wanna see what it looks like down there?” she asked.

Zim blushed. “I’ll admit, I’m curious, but it’s your body, I don’t want to do anything that would make you uncomfortable…”

“Oh, Zim, it’s a medical setting and this is a natural and beautiful act. I won’t mind at all if you take a look, my first egg is about to breach.”

He went over to where Timby was kneeling and leaned down to peek between Babs’s legs. He blushed at the sight of her labia open wide, but was fascinated by the way the skin seemed to pulse as she pushed, fluid trickling out, and then he was seeing the top of an egg ease its way through.

“Oh wow,” he whispered. The egg glided smoothly out and was caught delicately in Timby’s palm, and the doctor briefly looked it over for any cracks or defects before placing it on the cart and then waiting for the next.

“One out of nine,” Timby said. “Remember, Babs. This is a marathon, not a sprint.”

She laughed. “I know, I know. I’ve got this. Only eight more, that’s a normal clutch for me by now.”

Zim stayed where he was to watch the second and third eggs emerge, noting the variety of green shades they had, how some were solid in color but others had speckles. Then he moved back to Babs’s head. She was looking a little strained now, sweat dotting her forehead, but she was still in good spirits, humming as she pushed.

“You’re doing great,” Zim told her.

She smiled and motioned to him with her hand, which he took, squeezing it.

The fourth and fifth eggs were laid with no problems and Zim noted her shivering after the fifth, a soft whimper escaping her. He didn’t comment on it, able to tell from the look on her face that she had an orgasm. He wasn’t as embarrassed as he thought he would be. He was just happy that she had a way to feel good during this.

“Four more,” he encouraged. “That’s it, just four more eggs. That’s nothing for you.”

She nodded and closed her eyes to concentrate. Zim stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. He wished she could have her mate here with her. It would make this so much better. But it wasn’t allowed. That was one of many reasons he was getting out of here.

Egg six was laid and put in the nest. Zim thought that nest was looking pretty crowded. He imagined what that family would have looked like in the old days. A couple having nine smeets at once! So many mouths to feed, so many tiny, frail children to keep track of. Even after irkens eliminated their natural predators, there were so many ways a smeet could get hurt if they weren’t being watched. Still, he felt like Babs would have been an excellent mother no matter how many smeets she had at once.

Zim returned his attention to Babs as she got through laying the seventh egg. She looked exhausted. “You’re so close,” he said. “Two more!”

“It always gets rough after seven for some reason,” she panted.

“Egg laying takes a big toll on the body. Did you eat a good breakfast?” Timby asked.

She nodded. “Oh yes, I had toast with butter and jelly, and a muffin, and some fruit, and two glasses of water!”

“You’re certainly getting plenty of carbs in your diet, along with sugar. But try getting a little more protein,” Timby advised. “Good for your muscles. Okay, eighth egg, here we go…”

Zim mopped some of the sweat from Babs’s forehead as she shook again with a mix of pain and pleasure. He heard her softly whisper, “Diva…”

He wished he could bring her with him when he left. Her and her sire. But it was risky enough escaping with Dib. Babs would just have to remain here. But at least, when she was able to retire from being a Reproducer, she could be with her partner.

The last egg took some time. Babs was clearly struggling with it, her body naturally working to push it out but her muscles were fatigued and not pushing as hard as they needed to.

Zim and Timby both encouraged her, though what ended up getting her to put in more effort than anything was when Timby casually mentioned the surgery that they did when someone became eggbound.

With a short cry, she finally pushed hard enough to get the last egg out. It had some blood on it, which Timby cleaned off before placing it next to its siblings. Then he began cleaning Babs.

An assistant had stood nearby waiting for the cart, and she took it once all the eggs were in place, whisking it away.

“You did so good,” Zim said, listening with concern to how labored the other’s breathing was.

She only grunted in response and Zim looked at the monitor. Her pulse was high and didn’t seem to be going back down.

“Is she going to be okay?” he asked Timby.

“Of course. She’ll just need a while to recover after such a big clutch.” Timby finished cleaning and gave Babs an examination to make sure she didn’t need further medical care. Confirming that she was okay, he went to look at the monitor too.

“My eggs,” Babs said dizzily. “Are they all okay?”

“Yes, all nine looked good and are being taken care of.”

“Can I hold them?”

“They’re being checked for any problems by another team of very skilled physicians and after that will go to a smeetery. You know you can’t hold them, Babs, but they're in good hands.”

“Right. Yes.” She sighed and turned her head, opening her eyes and looking at Zim. “Thanks for being here,” she said.

“No problem. You were there for me when I laid my first egg a year ago, I wanted to return the favor.”

“We dams gotta look out for each other. You’re fitting in so much better than I thought you would when you first got here. I hope you pay it forward and help us take care of the next new dam that arrives.”

“Of course,” he replied. What else could he say?

Timby waited for Babs’s pulse to go down before finally untying her. She glanced in the direction her eggs had gone, grief briefly crossing her face, but then she shook herself out of it. She held Timby’s arm as he walked her to the door.

“I’m giving you twelve days to recover before your next mating,” he said. “If you feel like you need more time, come back and let us know.”

“I think twelve will be plenty, but thank you.” She let go of his arm and took some careful steps toward the door, then paused with her hand on the wall, shaking.

Zim quickly moved to her side, pulling her arm around his shoulders. She leaned on him and gave him a thankful look.

“I’ll walk you back to your room,” Zim said. “Unless you want lunch?”

“No, I have food at home, I need to go lay down anyway.”

“Then let’s go.” Zim guided her out.

They moved slowly through the halls, Babs occasionally missing a step and having to lean more heavily onto Zim before recovering and straightening back up.

“Are you sure you don’t need to go back to the doctor?” Zim asked.

“I’m sure. I just need some rest.”

“Okay. I hope you feel better soon.”

Babs didn’t talk much for the rest of the walk. Zim hoped she really would be okay. Was it possible to die of exertion from egg laying? He hadn’t been told of any such possibility but he did remember seeing a few other military trainees drop after especially strenuous rucks and other activities. Their hearts just gave out on them. They were declared weak and even those who survived were removed from training. Zim had worked hard and made sure he drank plenty of water and ate nutritious food to make sure he had enough energy to avoid such a fate.

But Babs could have worked herself too hard laying all those eggs. As soon as he got her to her room, he was going to make sure she ate something.

They finally reached the room and went inside. Zim took Babs to the bedroom at her request and helped her lay down.

“You need to get some energy back,” he said. “I’m going to bring you a snack, what do you want?”

“I’m a little too tired to eat right now.”

“Just a little food,” Zim insisted.

She relented and said, “There’s a bag of cheese puffs in the cabinet near the fridge, can you bring me those?”

He nodded and hurried to get them. He also grabbed a soda from the fridge and brought it too. He placed the items on the nightstand. “Here. I figured you would need something to wash down those cheese puffs.”

“Thank you.” She fumbled with the bag for a few moments before Zim reached over and opened it for her. He popped the tab on the can of soda too. She sighed. “That really took a lot out of me.”

“I can tell. You did great though.”

She smiled and stuffed a handful of cheese puffs into her mouth.

Zim stayed with her until she had finished her snack and soda. After that, she changed into clean clothes and then climbed back into bed, pulling the covers over herself.

Zim collected the empty soda can and chip bag. “Have a nice nap. Call me if you need anything.”

“Thank you.”

He could hear her snoring before he was even out the door. He threw away the trash and went back into the hall, stretching and checking the time. Yeah, it was close enough to when he usually got lunch. He headed to the cafeteria, thinking deeply on the earlier conversation he had with Babs. Maybe he really could trust her with his plan to escape.


	11. The Realization

The days seemed to pass incredibly slowly. Zim was looking forward to making his escape. He discussed the plan often with Dib, who was still nervous but also pretty confident it would work.

Zim spent the time until his next meeting with Dib clearing stuff out of his room. He planned to take a bag of snacks and clothes along with him when he left, which he was going to hang off a shoulder and conceal under a robe. He advised Dib to do the same. Zim took the rest of his food back to the pantry for the others to use. His extra clothes were donated too. He wasn’t sure what would be done with the contents of his room once he left so he wanted to make sure nothing went to waste.

He also continued his usual activities, hanging out with the other dams, going for walks, eating meals in the cafeteria, and playing games in the game room. He didn’t want to look suspicious.

A day before Zim was scheduled to meet with Dib again, he went to hang out with Babs. She had recovered from laying her eggs but still seemed a bit weak in the knees at times, but she assured him she was taking care of herself and would see the doctor if anything seemed wrong.

“You’re going to see Dib tomorrow, right?” she asked as they sat together drinking tea in her living room.

“Yes,” Zim replied, thinking fondly of his partner.

“That’ll be nice. You and him seem so close.”

“Oh yeah. I’ve thought quite often about us having some fairytale adventure where we run away together, haha.”

“How romantic. I’ll admit, I’ve thought the same. Where would you go?”

Zim had to be careful here. “Well. That neutral zone planet Venesia is quite beautiful, but that’s what would be expected. I think I would instead run off somewhere they’d never think to look. Maybe Retiria. Or some unnamed planetoid.”

“That would be lonely, going to one of the unnamed planets. I doubt there would be many other irkens.”

“True. But I’d have Dib.”

She smiled. “Yes, that’s true. You’d have him.”

“But it’s all hypothetical of course,” Zim said casually. “This is where I belong and I would never betray the empire by defecting.”

“Of course not,” she replied with a wink. Zim tensed a bit. Why the wink? Did she suspect he was going to make a run for it? Should he double down on the discussion being hypothetical or would that just make her suspicious?

“I mean, who would give up such a cozy life?” he said.

“Someone who wants the one thing this life can’t offer, of course,” she answered. “His mate’s company. I’m sure lots of Reproducers have thought about defecting. Though the punishment if they fail is an effective deterrent.”

“I imagine so. Hypothetically, if I disappeared, would you tell anyone about this conversation?” He was taking a huge risk here but he trusted Babs. It seemed she had quite the rebellious streak herself, or at the very least, understood why some individuals would go against the empire’s demands.

She took a sip of her tea, gazing at him thoughtfully over the rim. Then she lowered it and said, “Hypothetically, you just took off without a word and I know nothing, though I might suggest that you think Retiria is lovely.”

She wasn’t going to betray him. If anything, she would actually mislead investigators. Zim grinned and wrapped her into a hug. “Thank you.”

“Of course.” She put her tea down and gave him a serious look, taking his hands. Though they were alone, she still lowered her voice. “If I’ve learned anything about you, it’s that you always do what you think is right, no matter what other people say. If you think leaving with Dib is right, I’m not going to try and talk you out of it. I won’t report you either. But please, please be careful. They will chase you down. Abandoning an assignment and leaving the planet… it’s treason. You will likely be sent to an existence evaluation trial, judged defective, and killed. You and Dib both. So I hope you know what you’re doing.”

“Of course,” Zim said confidently, though he was a little shaken by how blunt she was, how seriously she was looking at him. “Have uh. Has anyone escaped before?”

She pursed her lips, hesitating and glancing toward the door. Then she said, “People don’t usually try. Most Reproducers are conditioned into accepting the life they’re given and they never think to defy their programming. But in all the years I’ve been here, I’ve seen a few escape attempts. Every single one involved a couple. One pair just slipped out in the middle of the night and ran off into the city, we never heard any news of what happened to them, good or bad. Another couple tried to leave during the day, they took their pagers off and just ran downstairs and out the main doors together. A nearby law enforcement officer intercepted them, it was obvious what their job was, and they were brought right back. They had been openly discontent about being kept apart, so Kilo had them both reassigned to a different job entirely. They became janitor drones. But well, guess they can be together now.”

Zim relaxed. “Well that seems forgiving.”

“They had an otherwise clean record. You’re a war criminal who caused numerous disasters and was reassigned to this job as a punishment. You trying to leave will absolutely push them to put you on trial.”

“Oh.” Zim’s antennae laid back.

Babs continued, “A couple years ago, there was a mated pair who got aggressive with the security that tried to push them back into the building. The dam was gravid and their sire went into a protective fit, attacking the security guards with his bare claws and teeth. The dam joined in and both were shot through the PAKs.”

Zim winced. “They shot them? Surely they could have stopped them non-lethally.”

“Probably. The rest of us were outraged, especially with how they showed us the footage, claiming it was just for our awareness of the situation, but we all knew it was a warning. We’re replaceable. They don’t actually care about our lives. They only care about the future lives we can make for the empire.” Babs touched her lower stomach, a bitter look crossing her face.

Zim’s heart raced. She truly was rebellious at heart. But he didn’t blame her after seeing something like that.

“I wish you could leave with us,” he said. “You and Diva. You deserve freedom.”

“We all do. But we can’t all get away. I can be satisfied with my life here, I can wait to be with Diva once our time as Reproducers is done. You, though? I know this isn’t your place. You won’t truly be happy here. So go. Get away from here with your mate. I don’t know what your plan is. But you’re smart and no one can stop you once you get something in your head. You’ve got what it takes to pull it off. Just take care of yourself. And Dib. And good luck.”

“Thank you. I really appreciate it.” Zim hugged her again. “We’re making our run tomorrow. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to talk to you again, but I want to thank you for all the ways you’ve helped me.”

“Any time. Hey, you’ll always have my number. But perhaps, don’t call me for a few weeks. Or maybe even a month. I’m sure they’ll be monitoring calls for a while after you leave to see if you contact any of us. Once it’s safe, though, please reach out.”

“Of course.” Zim’s chest ached as he leaned back from her. He didn’t know what it was like having parents but he got the feeling this was what having a mother was like. He was so lucky to have met someone so kind and understanding and her future smeets were going to be even luckier to be raised by her. “You know, after all this time I don’t think I’ve actually seen Diva. Do you have any pictures of her?”

“Sure, dear. Let me get one…” Babs took a small tablet out of her PAK and turned it on, flipping through it. She opened her photo gallery and found a good picture. “Here, she sent me this to get my opinion on a dress she bought.”

Zim was immediately impressed by the tall, slender figure of the sire in the photo, especially because of how good she looked in that glittery purple dress with a split up the side that went all the way to her thigh. Not to mention how the dress was sleeveless and he could see how toned her biceps were, which was pretty attractive. Then he focused on her face and saw that she had an intense sort of expression. She wasn’t angry but her dark magenta eyes were keen, seeming to pierce whoever looked upon her, even through a photo. Her antennae were long and had nearly completely straight tips other than where they ever so slightly hooked up at their ends. There was something familiar about her face. Whereas Babs had a round face and plump cheeks, Diva was all angles, her chin sharp and cheekbones defined. Modeling as she was in the picture, she really did look like a diva. Zim wouldn’t have been surprised seeing someone like her showing off a brand new Capitol City fashion line.

“I feel like I’ve seen her before,” he said.

“Maybe I have shown you her picture then. Because I doubt you would have passed her in the street at any point, she’s been restricted to this building since she was sixteen like the rest of us.”

“You got assigned to her right away, right?” Zim asked.

“Mhm. I was a little scared of her when I first met her, but she turned out to be such a sweetheart.”

Zim kept checking out the picture. “And you’ve been here… how long? Nineteen years?”

“It’s been about nineteen years now, yes.”

“Eggs from here get distributed all over, yes?”

“Well, I hear they tend to go to local smeeteries, but sometimes if a particular military or industry smeetery is low they can request from elsewhere, yes. There’s really no telling who your eggs might hatch into. I’m sure I have children all over the planet. All over the galaxy, even. Mechanics, doctors, scientists, pilots, cooks, soldiers…” She trailed off, looking at the photo and then up at Zim’s face. She gave a little gasp. “Oh! You know, you looked familiar when I first started seeing you in the news but I didn’t think much of it, like maybe you just had that kind of face… but then you came here. I met you in person and you were even more familiar, the way you carried yourself and that intelligence in your eyes reminded me so much of Diva. And now, looking at you, and then this photo… Zim!” Her eyes filled with tears. “I think you’re one of ours.” She reached out to take his face in her hands, leaning in. “I think I can check, please, can I scent you?”

“Yes,” he replied instantly, heart racing at the possibility. He lifted his antennae toward her. She moved hers forward and they tapped the tips together, taking in each other’s scents, and something about Babs’s pheromones made a pleasant feeling bloom in his chest. She smelled familiar. She smelled like home.

The tears ran down her face and she pulled her antennae back, covering her mouth. The recognition in her eyes said it all. “You are. I don’t believe it. You’re my child.”

He smiled and wiped her cheeks off, feeling giddy. His mother! He was actually sitting in a room with his mother! “I can’t believe it took us this long to realize it.”

“I know I’ve had a lot of eggs but never thought one of my young ones would make it right back here. Oh, Zim. I’m even more glad we got to meet now.”

“Me too. This is so… I mean what are the odds?”

“Very slim. It’s going to be even sadder for you to leave now, but if that’s what you want, it’s up to you.”

Zim nodded, regretting that he had to leave her. “I do still want to go. But I’ll definitely get in touch with you later. Dib and I want to start a family and I’m sure you’ll want to see your grandchildren.”

She grinned and Zim could hear her squealing with happiness. “Yes! Of course I will!”

“Then you’ll be hearing from us soon.”

“Is it okay if I let Diva know you’re our kid? I’m sure she’d love to know. We won’t tell anyone else.”

“Yes, that’s fine.” Zim glanced at his cup of tea sitting on the table. It was nearly empty but had likely gotten cold with how long he left it there while chatting. “I should probably get going. I have some last minute research I need to do before I leave tomorrow.”

“Oh, alright.” She collected their cups and stood. “Will I see you at dinner?”

“Yeah, I’ll be coming to dinner. After that I’m going right to bed. I’ll need plenty of rest.”

“Of course. See you at dinner, then.”

Zim bumped his forehead against hers and said, “See you, Mom.” The word felt odd on his tongue but she brightened in response.

He was in high spirits as he walked out of her room into the hallway. He had a good feeling about tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wanna drop a quick thanks to all my readers! Also, I drew Babs and Diva so here they are if anyone wants to see how they look! https://spyroforlife.tumblr.com/post/627484118046982144/decided-to-draw-babs-and-diva-from-reproducer-zim
> 
> As for irken!Dib, he can be found here https://spyroforlife.tumblr.com/post/626662817639088128/irkendib-from-my-reproducer-au-hes-a-sweet-boi


	12. Making an Escape

Zim was a bundle of nerves from the moment he woke up. It was far too early to be able to get a hot breakfast and he knew the building’s lights would still be dimmed but he was too excited to get back to sleep. So he hopped up, deciding to get ready for the day. He checked his pager for the time he was scheduled to meet Dib. It would be about an hour after he usually got breakfast. He planned to eat and then come back to his room and change into his robe. He would grab his bag of clothes and snacks to tuck out of view before going to meet Dib.

He crossed to the computer and sank into the seat, searching for taxis. He had already checked to make sure the computers weren’t monitored and they didn’t seem to be, at least not constantly. He didn’t doubt that the administrators could pull data from the network if they wanted but he hoped they didn’t notice what he was looking up until it was too late.

Finding the interplanetary taxis didn’t take long. He scrolled through the options, focusing on the self-piloting ones, and selected a model that looked like it could take a few hits. He didn’t plan on letting it get hit but he had to prepare for the worst. He hummed as he looked up the specs for the model he chose. He had intentionally picked an older one so he would be more familiar with the software. He confirmed that it had a system he knew how to program and went back to the taxi site to book one. He entered the address he wanted it to come to and the exact time, along with where he wanted it to take him. He chose a random location in Irk’s ring, which luckily seemed to be a common destination. He gave it his PAK ID so it would know what bank account to charge once he got into it. He was going to actually pay for the distance to the ring, but after that, he planned to disable that whole system once he hijacked it.

With the taxi scheduled, he sat back in his chair and examined the pager on his wrist. Waterproof and quite durable, it hasn’t been removed during his entire time here. Most of the time he forgot he had it. Now he turned his wrist to fiddle with the latch. It would be easy to remove but he had to make sure he remembered to actually do that. He didn’t need to make it any easier for law enforcement to track where he and Dib went.

He looked back at the computer and took a few minutes to erase all the history of his search and transaction from it. Anyone moderately good with computers could retrieve it but it put him at ease. As he proceeded to waste time browsing the Internet, he kept expecting that he would be caught at any moment, guards would bust in or he’d get a threatening page, but nothing like that happened. It was a quiet morning and he went to take a shower before breakfast.

Everything was fine, he told himself. He and Dib were very quiet about their plans, only talking to each other through their communicators and swearing that they wouldn’t talk about it to anyone else. Though Zim supposed he broke that yesterday, but he trusted Babs. If she was going to rat him out, she would have done it by now.

He got out of the shower and got dressed in comfortable pants and a shirt to go to the cafeteria. He didn’t care to wear one of those breezy gowns right now. He stayed alert as he walked through the halls but things remained peaceful. There were no guards waiting for him.

Zim scoped out the cafeteria once he entered. He didn’t see Babs but that wasn’t surprising, she’s been spending more time relaxing in her room since that last big clutch. He went to browse the food options for the morning and decided to eat light. Light but nutritious was the way to go, he would need the energy but didn’t want to feel bloated or nauseous. He only had water to drink.

He took his time eating. There was no rush. The taxi would be arriving at a very specific minute and he and Dib had agreed when they would reach each other, approximately one minute before the taxi’s arrival. That was all the time they would need to break through the window, jump to the ground, and race to the street.

He checked the status of various PAK systems while he ate. Though he hasn’t used many of the components in a year, he made sure he did all the proper maintenance on them in case they were needed again. So his PAK legs should be fully operational, as was the energy shield they could generate. The lasers were also operational. He would likely activate the shield behind them once they jumped. Babs said there were no armed guards so he didn’t think this facility had snipers, but it was always a possibility. Reproducers were fiercely protected.

He felt a small buzz from his PAK as Dib sent him a message. He gazed into space as he read it off in his mind, not wanting to take the communicator out here. _You ready for this?_

Zim smiled and mentally wrote a response, sending, _More than ready. Are you?_

_Oh yeah. It’s gonna be scary. But I’m ready._

Zim checked the time. Thirty-seven minutes. He didn’t have anything left to eat or drink, so he cleaned up and headed back to his room. He got together his belongings. There wasn’t much he would be able to bring but he had accepted that. He would have his most precious belonging and that was enough.

He changed into his robe and stuffed the clothes he had worn into the bag, putting an arm through the straps and back through the robe sleeve, then tied the robe shut. As long as he kept his arms at his sides, the bag wasn’t really noticeable from the outside. He was thankful for how loose and fluffy these robes were.

Twenty minutes to go. He found himself chewing on his claws as he watched the door, thoughts of the room being bugged going through his head, what if they were waiting just long enough for him to build hope before coming in to arrest him? But surely that wasn’t pragmatic? If they knew he was going to make an escape attempt, surely they would have already apprehended him? He told himself to stop being paranoid. He had to stay optimistic.

He spent the rest of the time pacing before finally heading out. He gave the wall a farewell pat as he went. He would miss this place but it wasn’t where he belonged. He joined some of the other dams that were heading to meet their mates, exchanging greetings with them, acting the same as he would any other time. His nerves grew so strong it was like electricity in his limbs. He shook his arms out a bit. Focus on the now. Don’t think about the what ifs.

Zim reached the hall that led to all the meeting rooms, but rather than turn to go down to the end room, he turned the other way to head toward the central elevators. He walked briskly, heart speeding up, he could see the others giving him curious glances but he moved with confidence, like this was what he was supposed to be doing, and no one stopped him.

Only a few more seconds, round the corner… and there was Dib across from him, looking nervous, but his mouth pulled into that familiar bright grin when he saw Zim. They stepped off the colored tiles and into the white, crossing the short space and embracing each other.

“Can’t believe we’re actually doing this,” Dib muttered with a short laugh.

“Believe it, because this is where things get risky,” Zim replied, lifting an arm and swiftly unlatching his pager. Dib fumbled to do the same and as soon as they got the devices off, they flashed a warning telling them to put them back on. They threw them carelessly aside and Zim swept Dib up into his arms. Dib flailed a bit but then relaxed, laughing and bumping his head against Zim’s.

“So strong,” he cooed.

“Flatter me later, we gotta go,” Zim said, backing up toward the elevators so he could get a running start, facing the windows. He slid the panels of his PAK open and let all four legs out, setting them against the floor. Lifting himself up on them still felt so natural. He took a breath as he prepared to run, then heard the ding of the elevators behind them and felt a rush of air past his antennae as the doors opened.

Dib looked back and gasped, urgently patting Zim’s shoulders. “Oh fuck it’s Kilo and he's got guards go go go,” he said in a rush.

That jolted Zim into action. He charged forward, weaving back and forth and seeing a laser blast past him, missing him by mere centimeters. It hit the window and blew it out and there was swearing behind them, along with alarmed shouts from either side of them. They could hear the patter of feet as people rushed over to see what was happening.

Zim gripped Dib tighter as he reached the window, flinging his forward PAK legs into the hole from the laser and giving a powerful push to the sides. The glass shattered and Zim ducked his head, feeling Dib curl into him, and pushed off from the floor with his back PAK legs. They propelled him right through the space, so graceful that he couldn’t help but grin despite the situation. He still had it. He looked down at the rapidly approaching ground and stretched out the limbs toward it, angling them just right so the lower joints would absorb the impact, and-

Dib let out a surprised yelp when they landed; he had kept his eyes closed.

“We’re good, come on,” Zim said, setting down on his feet and putting Dib down. One of his antennae quirked and a chill went up his spine, the feeling so familiar that he immediately wrapped his PAK legs around them and generated the shield without thinking about it. Just in time. A laser slammed against them, knocking them forward a few feet.

“What was that?” Dib shouted.

“We’re getting shot at,” Zim replied grimly. It was a sensation he hasn’t felt in a long time but he would never forget that eerie chill as he sensed the incoming shot, his instincts finely attuned to sounds that his conscious mind hardly registered but his years of training had programmed into him. That small click of a trigger getting pulled, the low hum of energy building within the gun’s nuclear reactor…

He reshaped the shield to use as a barrier behind them, grabbing Dib’s hand and racing toward the street. His heart soared at the sight of the taxi swooping in, it was right there waiting for him, there weren’t a lot of pedestrians around, they would make it!

Then sirens reached his antennae and he whipped his head around to see an armored military ground ship tearing down the road, swerving over the sidewalk and getting between them and the taxi.

Zim froze with a string of curses, backpedaling when a door opened in the side and several large, heavily armed soldiers stepped out, all of them aiming at him. Soldiers? Why not local law enforcement? And he knew response from the city was often fast but that was _too_ fast. It was almost as if-

“Don’t look so surprised,” a familiar voice said toward Zim’s back left. He jerked his head over to see Kilo casually approaching him, Jaz at his side. Kilo surveyed the situation and looked up at the broken window on the second floor of the building, then sighed. “Such a mess. Anyway, did you really think you would get away that easily?”

Zim swallowed, pulling Dib closer to him, wrapping a couple PAK legs protectively around him. None of the soldiers had their fingers in the trigger wells but those guns were still pointed directly at them. “How did… we didn’t think anyone knew the plan, how did you find out?” he demanded.

Kilo chuckled, spreading his arms. “You weren’t exactly discrete. Talking openly about it on the phone with your mate? You might as well have emailed a copy of the plan directly to us.”

“Talking on the…” Zim’s antennae trembled a bit, eyes widening as a flash of all the different conversations he’s had with Dib went through his mind. The venting and the plan to escape were bad enough, but to think the others were also privy to their more intimate discussions… “You monitored our calls?”

“We didn’t tap your communicators if that’s what you’re wondering. We could have had that authorized, but we didn’t need to. The rooms themselves all have cameras, Zim. Not just the ones for mating. We watch you all everywhere you go. Just in case anyone starts getting a little rebellious, we can nip that in the bud.”

Zim’s breathing grew shallow. He could tell they were slowly getting surrounded by more soldiers but he wasn’t going to give up yet. “So why didn’t you nip this in the bud? You let us get pretty far considering you knew the entire plan.”

“Yeah, we did.” Kilo’s eyes glinted and he glanced once again up at the window, where Zim could see dams and sires alike crowding to watch the proceedings, shocked and fearful. “We figured we could make a good show out of executing the defect and his equally defective mate.”

Dib jerked at that.

Kilo smirked. “Don’t look so shocked. No proper irken would ever let himself be convinced to betray his empire like you did. Treason is all the evidence I need that you’re both defective beyond repair. We don’t even need an existence evaluation with how obviously broken you are and I don’t think anyone will disagree. So I’d advise you stand still. No need to make your deaths more painful than they need to be.”

“He can’t seriously have the authority to kill us,” Dib whispered to Zim.

Zim watched with wide eyes as Kilo raised his hand, fingers apart, and the surrounding soldiers all readied their weapons and moved their fingers onto the triggers. “He doesn’t. But he’s going to do it anyway.”

Dib gripped him tighter and said, “Please tell me you have a plan.”

“Be brave, Dib-love. And don’t worry. I always have a plan.”

Dib met his eyes and was surprised to see him smiling now, cocky and certain, and wondered what he was thinking. Then he saw Zim’s PAK legs move around to brace against the ground and then bend, the sharp joints raising up high.

Kilo closed his fist and Zim’s PAK legs simultaneously released their tension, propelling them swiftly up and back just as the soldiers fired. There were alarmed shouts as several of them were hit by friendly fire, their armor taking the brunt of it but many getting knocked back.

Dib wrapped his arms around Zim’s neck and let out a giddy laugh at how fast they were soaring through the air, Zim twirling them around and landing with hardly a bump, taking off at a fast sprint. Dib was impressed at how talented he was with those mechanical limbs, all his movements felt so natural.

The soldiers quickly scrambled to line up and continue firing, now with a commander behind them directing their shots, but Zim was prepared and Dib could see by the intensity in his eyes that he had far too much practice with this kind of situation. Zim expertly dodged and weaved as he ran, occasionally even moving on only three legs as he used one to generate a shield and deflect blasts before putting it back down so he could leap.

They soared right over the military vehicle and down onto the other side, thrilled to see that the taxi was still dutifully waiting for them. Zim wasted no time, retracting the legs and diving into the vehicle with Dib. They both bumped their arms and faces against the hull getting in but they didn’t care, scrambling to pull the door shut and locked, and Zim shouted, “Passengers in!”

“Passengers in,” a computerized voice repeated, the door on the opposite side locking, then the taxi began moving.

“Faster!” Zim ordered, looking out the window at the mass of soldiers rushing around their vehicle to charge at them.

The taxi increased its speed and merged into ship traffic, deftly weaving between the larger ships in a fashion that Zim was pretty sure was illegal, but he welcomed it. “That’s it, get us up to the rings, go!” He untangled himself from Dib and swung himself around to examine the control panels. There was a forcefield in front of all of them and several signs in different languages telling passengers not to touch at risk of fines or worse. Zim scoffed and disabled the forcefield with a well-aimed blast from a laser, then began working the controls while the ship beeped in protest. It maintained its course however, finding a space lane and shooting up, its thrusters roaring as it sped through the atmosphere.

Dib had laid mostly in a daze since Zim got them into the taxi, overwhelmed by how fast everything had happened, but now he pushed himself up and watched his partner work. Words couldn’t describe how in love he was with him right now. That had been an incredible escape. Zim was incredible. There wasn’t a scratch on either of them!

Except… he noticed one of Zim’s antennae twitching erratically. It kept flicking back and forth, making it difficult to get a good look at, but after staring at it for a few seconds, Dib said, “I think a laser hit your right antenna.”

“I’m fine,” Zim replied, letting out a pleased chirp when he managed to disable the ship’s security protocols faster than he was expecting.

“Seriously, uh. How do you not feel that?”

“How do I not feel what?” Zim reached a hand back to check and gasped when his fingers darted across empty space where the end of his antenna should have been. “What the- I was hit!”

“Yeah. That’s gotta hurt, right?”

“Well, it… it is just the end of it, and with all the adrenaline…” Zim really hadn’t felt it when it happened. Or maybe he did, but he was conditioned to tolerate pain levels that non-military irkens would likely find unbearable. He couldn’t let injuries distract him in a battle after all. Only once the mission was complete and he could seek medical attention did he ever check himself over for damage. He hardly felt it until then. But now as the excitement of the escape faded he began to feel sore, sparks of pain going down his antenna stalk as his nerves told him something was very, very wrong. He winced. “It’ll heal.” He went back to hacking the cab.

Dib looked himself over too and found nothing of concern. “You were amazing back there. I didn’t know you could move like that.”

“Some things never go away. But I’m going to be feeling that later, my back hurts. Using my PAK legs never seemed like such an effort before. I’m rusty.”

Dib looked out the front viewport and gasped softly at the view as they left the atmosphere. “Oh wow. Are we in space?”

“Technically we’re still in the thermosphere but we’re almost to the exosphere.” Zim glanced over and saw that Dib’s caramel eyes were huge, expression awed as he gazed at the stars. “Have you been to space before?”

“Never,” Dib said softly. “I was never allowed to leave Irk. Not even as a field trip or anything. We were too valuable, they said. Had to stay on the surface.”

“Wow. Most of my life has been spent off Irk.” Zim looked outside too. “Just wait until we get past the ring. There’s so much to see.”

Dib took Zim’s hand and pulled it over to kiss, then kissed his lips. Zim kissed him back but couldn’t linger for long.

“We’ll have plenty of time for this, but right now I need to get us to Venesia,” he explained.

“Oh. Oh, yeah, of course,” Dib replied, blushing and moving away. He pulled an arm out of his robe to let down the bag he had brought. “Man, nearly forgot about this thing… I think I could use a snack after all that.”

Zim programmed one of the ship’s monitors to show him nearby military vessels and kept shooting it glances as he worked. They were drifting among the rings now and he knew there would be ships coming after them at any moment. Kilo knew the plan, after all. They had to know this part, though luckily, Zim had never mentioned using that test planet’s caverns to Dib. Which meant they had a secret strategy.

“Okay, I’ve shut off the meter so I’m not gonna get charged anymore, but also…” Zim tapped a screen. “I now have full manual control.” A wheel came down and he grabbed it, punching in his new coordinates and checking where he had to go before grabbing the controls and darting through the chunks of ice and rock that made up Irk’s thin but formidable ring. Not a moment too soon. He saw red dots on the radar and then massive, bright lasers and plasma bursts were shooting past the ship. The taxi was a smaller target than many pilots had experience hitting but it wouldn’t take them long to adjust their sights. Zim wasn’t going to give them that chance. He pushed the ship to its limits as he fled through the ring, occasionally stopping to hide behind a particularly large rock before shooting to a different one and pausing there. He had disabled the tracking devices the taxi company used but as long as he was actually operating the ship, it was putting off a traceable heat signature. He had to get to that planet fast.

It was stressful. This ship was agile but it didn’t have the countermeasures he was used to. There were no weapons. It was shielded to some degree but taxis like this generally relied on intergalactic courtesy to avoid getting blown up. And even then that didn’t always work. In an actual firefight the pilot or AI had to be exceptionally skilled to fly away and there were plenty of stories of them just getting destroyed.

Zim didn’t let himself dwell on that. He _was_ an exceptionally skilled pilot. This was about the size of his old Voot cruiser and he was quite comfortable with handling it now. He managed to shake their pursuers enough that they weren’t in visual range, but he was sure they would still be tracking him. It would be a stressful few hours but he couldn’t afford to switch to autopilot so he would have to keep his eyes on the window the whole time.

Dib soon settled from the stress of the escape, snuggling up to Zim’s side and complimenting him on how well he handled things.

“Thank you,” Zim replied, giving him a nuzzle. “We’re not done yet but I think we’ll be okay.”

“Can they shoot us from way back there?” Dib asked, checking the radar and seeing the other ships were several lightyears back.

“Well… technically, yes,” Zim replied. “But that’d be a hell of a shot, especially since we’re not in visual, but it could be done. There’s certainly decorated pilots who have pulled off shots like that. But it’s very rare and we’re an exceptionally tiny target. Very little heat too for their automated systems to aim for.”

“Hm. Well, let’s just be careful. Maybe we should still weave every so often like you were doing earlier.”

“Heh, definitely. Don’t worry. I’m very good at not getting shot down.”

“Well, you’re still alive so I’ll take your word for it.” Dib sighed, smiling as he gazed out at the stars. “We’re actually doing it. We’re leaving Irk. It’s… it’s a little scary actually, but I’m glad we did it. Now we can be together.”

“Yes. Truly together.” Zim grinned as it really sank in. Here he and Dib were just sitting next to each other, not having to mate, just able to be in each other’s company. It was nice. This was nice, sharing body heat and being able to feel and smell each other, why did he wait so long to plan this escape?

He kept a hand on the controls and turned to Dib, pulling him close to nuzzle him affectionately, tangling their antennae together. Dib nuzzled him back, leaning his weight on him, and Zim let out a small grunt as the other soon just flopped onto him, knocking him onto his back.

“Mm, just wanna snuggle you,” Dib purred. Zim’s robe had opened a bit in the front and Dib was rubbing his cheek against his chest, utterly happy.

Zim rested an arm around him and dropped his hand from the taxi controls. It would keep flying at the same vector without him. He stroked Dib’s antennae, enjoying the moment. “You know I can’t be letting my guard down like this. I’ll make sure I snuggle you later, okay? As much as you want. We’ll be stopping in a couple hours anyway.”

“Stopping?” Dib’s antennae raised. “We’ll be at Venesia that quickly?”

Zim laughed. “Hah. No. We’re making a detour to shake off our buddies back there.” He checked the viewport and sat back up. “Oh, hey, you’ll love this. See that star we’re approaching?”

Dib lifted his head. “Hm? Oh, yeah, how can I not?” He squinted. “It’s so bright.”

“Be lucky these windows are tinted and shielded against solar radiation or you’d be blind right now. So, are you familiar with the concept of gravity boosts?”

“That’s when you use a star or something to go faster, right?”

“Right.” Zim took the controls. “With the right angle of approach, a pilot can use a large celestial body’s gravitational field as a sort of slingshot! The trick is to approach it and ride that gravitational pull as it tries to pull us into its orbit, but we won’t be close enough for a true orbit. Instead it will merely swing us around itself and then we’ll have enough momentum to break free with a huge boost of speed that uses far less fuel than it usually would. So let me show you!” Zim pushed the ship toward the star and it gave a general warning about the radiation which Zim dismissed, knowing they weren’t close enough for it to do any harm.

Zim pulled off the gravity boost maneuver with no issues, sling-shotting them rapidly in the direction of the next star he planned to use, and Dib whooped and punched the air in delight. He took a strong interest in the physics of space travel after that and Zim spent the rest of the trip explaining all he knew to him. Dib picked up the theories fast and was soon asking questions that Zim had trouble answering, as things became incredibly complicated when it came to faster than light travel and quantum mechanics. In the end he had to concede that some things just worked and he didn’t even know how they did, but he would like to learn one day.

It was a good way to pass the time. After only a couple more stars their pursuers were so far behind they barely registered on the radar anymore and it seemed several ships had given up the chase, but Zim didn’t trust those readings. He maintained his course for the planet and soon they were coming upon it. Continent-sized pieces of the planet floated freely, somewhat in a ball shape but still disorganized and with miles of empty space between the chunks. Zim flew through the field for a bit before picking a piece at random and diving toward its surface.

“This was once a planet?” Dib asked.

“Yeah. A small one, a planetoid really, but yes. I don’t think it was inhabited by much besides plant life though. Not that you can tell now. No atmosphere, everything living on the surface would have been killed years ago. Ya know, this place’s core was a pretty impressive sphere of solid iron. We took that for ourselves once we blew the planet apart, that’s an incredible resource to have. But all these other chunks? Meh, I think mining ships sometimes swing by to pick at them, but we mostly leave this place alone.”

“I would have liked to see it before it got blown up though. I’m sure it looked nice.”

Zim shrugged. “You’ll get your chance to see plenty of other planets.” He began skimming along the barren surface, passing craters and dried out river beds, before coming upon the opening to a cavern about twice as wide as the taxi itself. That would certainly be a challenge for those larger military ships to get into. He guided the taxi inside and flicked on its lights so they could navigate through. There weren’t many twists to the tunnel but it went deep. They didn’t stop until they were a mile underground, at which point Zim found a hollowed out area to settle the ship in, turning it around back toward the entrance and then shutting off all the engines and computers. They were cast into darkness as the taxi powered off.

“No way they can see us now,” Zim said smugly, feeling for Dib before moving to cuddle with him. “We’ll wait here a bit. Maybe even nap. Let them give up and go back to Irk. And then we’ll continue to Venesia and start our new life together.”

“Can’t wait.” Dib ran his hands along Zim’s sides and pulled him over on top of him, laying back. It was so dark that he couldn’t see anything, not even Zim’s face right in front of his, but he could sense him there. Static tingled between their skin and he could feel soft breath against his face.

“So what do you want to do while we wait?” Zim asked with a playful wiggle of his hips.

Dib slipped his fingers beneath Zim’s robe to touch his thighs. “Oh, I don’t know,” he said innocently.

“Mm, really?” Zim untied his robe and flung it open, pressing his front closer to Dib’s. “No ideas at all, huh?”

“Nah,” Dib said. Zim couldn’t see him even with his ocular implants but he could hear the grin in his voice. “Maybe you could come up with something?”

“I already have an idea.” Zim began opening Dib’s robe. “Why don’t we celebrate our newfound freedom?”

“We’re not completely free yet, we still gotta get to Venesia.”

“Yeah but at this point we’re pretty much untouchable. There’s thousands of miles out there. This planet has a notably thick crust. They aren’t gonna be able to locate us, not without individually searching every single one of these caverns. And they just don’t have the resources.”

“You’re you, though,” Dib said. “Ya know, most dangerous irken alive. They might put in the effort.”

Zim rolled his eyes. “They know our plan. They’re likely to just say good riddance and assume I’m never coming back. They want to be rid of me. Now they are.”

“Hey, you know how the military works better than I do, if you don’t think they’ll come after us, I believe you. Okay then, let’s celebrate our freedom.” Dib kept the sleeves on but let the flaps of the robe fall to the sides, leaving himself bare to Zim. After a few moments, he heard shuffling and then the quiet smack of fabric against the seat. Zim had tossed his own robe off completely.

“Now we’re talking,” Zim murmured. He didn’t need his eyes for any of this. He knew Dib’s body intimately now. He reached down for his sheath and found him already aroused, his tip beginning to poke out, covered in fluid. At Zim’s touch, it emerged the rest of the way and then wrapped around his fingers.

“We can take as long as we want to sleep together now,” Dib said cheerfully.

“Yeah. Yeah, that’s right! We don’t have to be apart! We can just take our time with each other, get all nice and romantic… and not just during sex! We can eat meals together, watch TV, give each other massages…” Zim smiled imagining it.

“Being a Reproducer has really domesticated you, huh?”

“Hey, I’m still a badass.”

“You definitely are. Well, I’m looking forward to being cozy and domestic with you. I think we’ve earned it.” Dib felt between Zim’s legs and encouraged his cock out too, giving it a few strokes. “Just like you’ve earned this.”

“Mm, you deserve it too… you did so well back there.”

“You did all the work.”

“Yeah but I liked your bravery. You didn’t plead for mercy or try to go back to the facility. You stayed with me. And now here we are. Alone, truly alone together, for the first time.” Zim shifted to kneel over Dib’s hips, resting his weight slightly against the other’s arousal. “I want to take full advantage of it.”

“Then come here.” Dib gripped his waist and eased him down, slipping himself in Zim so smoothly he moaned, back arching. “So wet already, love… you feel so good.”

“I guess thinking about our future together got me a little excited.”

“A little?” Dib pulled Zim further onto him and let out a breathless moan, hearing the other chirp softly. “You’re dripping.”

Zim leaned down and brought Dib’s head up so he could kiss him on the lips, running his antennae against the other’s head and feeling him move the stalks to respond, sending tingles of pleasure through their entire bodies. Zim wasted no time in beginning to move, rocking himself firmly up and down the other’s thick shaft, and Dib followed his rhythm. Their lips and antennae hardly separated, hands roaming all over each other as if really feeling each other for the first time, reveling in their new solitude. They didn’t have to leave each other’s presence after this. There were no cameras watching them. They were free.

“A-ah, Dib, love you so much,” Zim murmured, voice husky and shaky as he grew close to finishing.

“I love you too,” Dib replied, continuing to cover him with kisses, now running his claws down Zim’s back and circling the dip of his spine, and he was rewarded with a whimper, Zim’s body starting to squeeze around him.

“I’m so glad we did this, thank you for running away with me, Dib…” Zim’s heart was swelling with so much emotion he could barely take it. It almost hurt but he felt amazing, so happy it was overwhelming, and as he nuzzled against Dib’s face, he felt the other’s skin seem to grow slick. “O-oh, Dib…” He cupped the other’s cheeks, feeling them with a slight frown. “Are you crying?”

“Probably.” Dib touched his cheeks too, thumbs brushing just under his eyes. Zim wished he could see him but he didn’t dare turn on any of the lights, even activating the smallest electrical system in the ship could give away their position. “But you’re crying too.”

“Oh.” Zim wiped his face off with a huff.

“It’s okay. Just let it out.”

“I’m not sad, though.”

“Neither am I. They’re tears of joy.”

“That’s a thing?”

Dib couldn’t help but laugh. “Of course. Sometimes you’re just so happy you can’t help but cry. Have you never felt that way before?”

“No.”

“Well. It’s a totally normal way to feel. I’m glad you’re that happy.”

Zim leaned in to kiss him, finding and holding his hands as he finished. Dib’s tongue swept around his as they kissed deeper and Zim felt the other’s body shudder as he came too. Dib pulled out and rolled them over onto their sides, the two falling into a warm embrace, catching their breath.

“Already trying to start a family with me, are you?” Zim teased.

“Mm, wasn’t the intention, but…” Dib slid a hand down to Zim’s stomach. “Did that fertilize any eggs?”

“It was a good try, but no.”

“Well then.” Dib gently flipped him over onto his back and got between his thighs, sliding them open. “Guess I’ll just need to try again, huh?”

Zim smirked, resting his arms around Dib’s neck and wishing he could see him, but for now he was just content experiencing everything else about his mate. His scent, his voice, the touch of his skin… it was all perfect. “Give me your best shot, Dib-love.”

Dib’s claws dug in hard and Zim let out a pleased moan. Dib’s voice was low as he murmured against Zim’s throat, “As you wish, Zim-dear.”


	13. Setting Course for Venesia

They weren’t sure how long they spent making love to each other in that dark, silent cave. They didn’t care. All they could think about was each other. They would romp about for a while, pause for a few minutes to have some of the snacks they brought, and then get right back to it. Even when Zim’s PAK alerted him that he was gravid with two eggs, he didn’t slow, and neither did Dib when he told him. If anything, it just turned them on more knowing that they didn’t have to leave each other now that Zim was with eggs. They could keep going, keep enjoying each other, and it was rapturous.

Even so, they eventually grew exhausted and had to stop for good, slowly pulling apart from each other and panting.

“I was gonna…” Zim said wearily, having to pause often for breath, “Gonna send this taxi back to Irk once we got to Venesia, but… after all that… something tells me they might not want it.”

Dib laughed, patting the seat they were laying on and finding it quite soaked through with their sweat. There were also a good number of gouges from their claws. “Yeah, we made quite a mess in here.” The air was hot and thick with the smell of their pheromones and he wished they could open one of the doors. “I assume we can’t open the door to air it out, at least?”

“No, the temperature here is well below freezing. Even this cave system was unable to trap a survivable atmosphere. We’d die fast if we opened that door and let out our oxygen.”

“Damn. Well, at the very least, do you think it’s safe to turn the ship on and filter the air?”

“Hm, by now I think… yes. We should be able to do that.” Zim turned to the control panel and fumbled blindly before finding the button to turn the ship’s computer on. He left the engines off for the time being. He activated the main control panel and the screen came on, its green glow briefly blinding to both of them after being in the dark for so long. Dib even hissed in pain as he shielded his eyes. “Sorry,” Zim apologized, turning to nuzzle him and taking a moment to just admire him in the soft light. His mate looked worn out, face flushed and sweaty, but he was clearly happy. Zim returned his attention to the screen and had the ship activate its air re-circulation. Fresh, cool air wafted across them as the hot air was vented out and they sighed with relief.

They used the insides of their robes to clean themselves off the best they could and then got out the fresh clothes they had brought, getting dressed. They were too tired to do anything else and Zim didn’t feel safe leaving the cave yet, so they decided to lay down and nap for a few hours.

That was delightful too. For so long Zim has wanted to just fall asleep in his partner’s arms and now he could. It was far cozier than any blanket, more comforting than even the best pillows money could buy… and Dib’s steady heartbeat was like music to his antennae.

They spent a few hours resting together, not really talking, just at peace with each other. Once they both recovered their energy, Zim decided it was time to move on. It would take a few days to get to Venesia so he might as well start now. Kilo would have heard that that was their destination, but Zim had hope that there wouldn’t be any military forces waiting for them there. Venesia’s neutral zone extended out to its entire solar system and any irken ship wanting to intercept the taxi would have to be beyond that zone. Which meant there were plenty of directions Zim could approach from and avoid detection.

He carefully powered all the ship’s systems back up, keeping an eye on the radar. Nothing registered on it. He turned on the engines last, knowing their heat signature was the most obvious to scanners. Still nothing showed up on the radar. He nodded and took the controls, lifting the ship from the ground and flying back through the tunnels toward the surface. He was on high alert, dividing his attention between the radar and what he could see out of the windows, but it was dead quiet. There was simply nothing in this entire section of space besides them.

He didn’t let himself get cocky though, flying slowly once out of the cave and checking for anything suspicious. Nothing. He really did lose their pursuers. He flew faster, making a beeline for the hyperspace jump that would bring them within only a few days of Venesia.

“Since you’ve never been into space before, I suppose I should warn you before going into hyperspace,” Zim said.

“Warn me of what?” Dib asked, looking curiously out the window.

“We’re about to approach unimaginable speeds. Crossing thousands of lightyears involves substantial warping of spacetime. You will likely become nauseous and disoriented as we move through this warped, or hyper, space. So just take deep breaths and hold onto something if you need to.” Zim looked down as the screen alerted him that they were reaching the jump point, preparing to go through it. He felt Dib take his hand and cast him a smile before flying forward. “Here we go.”

The immediate jolt as the ship sped up nearly flattened him back against the seat. This taxi had way worse stabilizers than his old cruiser! He struggled to sit forward again and heard Dib gag, but a quick glance over told him that nothing came up. He squeezed his hand and looked at the window, seeing the familiar blur of colors as they tunneled through space.

“How do you keep from hitting any stars or planets at this speed?” Dib asked.

Zim chuckled. “You’ve never traveled in space so I’ll forgive you for it, but that’s a bit of a silly question. You see, out in space, there’s a lot of, well… space. There’s thousands and millions of miles between most objects and so it’s very easy to avoid hitting things. Even so, we’re not going through normal space right now. There’s nothing to hit.”

“What… where are we then?”

Zim started to answer but then they exited hyperspace and were flung forward slightly as the taxi slowed, Dib covering his mouth as he retched, but again he managed to keep his food down. Even Zim felt sick and he was used to doing this. He blamed it on the ship’s poor stabilizers and how long he’s been on Irk. He rubbed Dib’s back as he waited for him to recover, then tried his best to explain the physics of hyperspace travel. He told him they were using a direct tunnel to their destination rather than following the curve of spacetime and explained how exactly the ship did that, but it was clear it was a bit beyond Dib’s knowledge even with how smart the other was. Zim eventually said, “Imagine folding a piece of paper in half and punching a hole from one side to the other to quickly get through instead of going along its entire surface. And then apply that to the entirety of 3D space.”

“Ohh. Yeah I probably won’t understand if you get any more complicated than that.”

They switched to lighter topics as Zim set the autopilot to take them to Venesia. It was going to be a few days of traveling but he promised they would find a rest stop somewhere along the way so they could get out and stretch their legs. But right now, all they could really do was just relax and wait out the flight. It was unfortunate that this model of ship had to make use of pre-existing hyperspace gates and didn't have the ability to make its own tunnels.

They kept each other entertained with stories and songs, sometimes undressing to mess around some more, but mostly just sitting close and talking, and holding each other as they slept through many of the hours.

They were a day from Venesia when Zim pulled the taxi over to a rest stop located on a small asteroid. There was a dome over the surface with an airlock for traffic to pass through and it wasn’t very crowded right now. Zim scoped the asteroid out for any irken ships but saw none. He swooped down toward it and entered the airlock. The outer door closed behind him and the pressure was equalized, then the inner door opened to allow him through.

He checked the ship’s fuel levels as he approached a fuel station. It was starting to run a little low, so he decided to fill it back up. Ten monies worth should do it.

“Feel free to run inside for snacks,” Zim said as he parked and opened the side door.

“Is our money good here?” Dib asked as he got out too. He stretched and popped his back, glad to be able to stand again.

“Of course, they’ll have an interface for your PAK there like any store back on Irk. The cashier should be able to tell you what the conversion is for irken monies to whatever they’re using here if you’re really curious but it won’t be much more expensive than buying stuff on Irk.”

“Ah. Okay, well, I’m gonna go get a drink and chips I guess. You want anything?”

“Nah, I’ll be okay with what we still have left in here.” Zim reached into the taxi to gather up some trash, shoving it into a plastic bag and handing it to Dib. “Throw this away too.”

Dib took it over to the store, tossing it into a garbage can before going inside. The store was nearly deserted. A bored cashier of an alien race he didn’t recognize leaned against the counter idly organizing things and a tall, slimy alien browsed the refrigerators. Dib has never interacted with anyone but irkens before. His PAK was programmed with a variety of languages but he hasn’t really practiced them. Would that cashier understand irken or would he have to talk to them in something else? He wasn’t sure what the common language of this region of space was. Vortian, maybe? Or, this close to Venesia, it might be Venesian.

He went down one of the aisles, examining the bags, boxes, and cans of food. He really wasn’t sure what was a snack and what was a meal just from looking. There were different languages used but none seemed to be irken. He struggled to read the labels, PAK working to translate them. Maybe he should just go back and ask Zim to get the snacks.

Finally he was able to recognize some of what he was looking at. Sugary snack cakes, sour candy, there were chips of many different flavors ranging from salty to spicy, and there were foods that the irken language didn’t have words for. Some of it seemed to be made of meat. He shuddered and kept walking.

“Irken,” a gurgling voice suddenly addressed him. He spun around and saw that the tall slime alien was in the aisle next to him but was leaning their neck and head all the way over the shelves to talk to him. “You look lost.”

Their accent was rough but understandable. Dib swallowed and nervously replied, “It’s my first time off Irk. I don’t quite know how to read some of this stuff yet.”

The other seemed to find that amusing. “You should come around to this aisle. This aisle…” They lifted the tentacle they seemed to have in place of an arm, gesturing at the shelves on their side. “Has a section for irken snack products.”

“Oh wow, really? Thanks!” Dib went around to check out that aisle instead, finally seeing words he recognized. Some of his favorite brands were here. “Awesome.”

“You’re very friendly for an irken.”

Dib picked up a bag of sugar-coated chips. “I am?”

The other lowered their eyes toward him, blinking slowly. “You’re not part of the Irken Empire’s military, are you?”

“No, I’m not. Me and my partner are uh, going on vacation.” Dib wasn’t sure how much loyalty other species around here had toward Irk but he wasn’t going to admit to being a fugitive.

“Vacation. I see. Enjoy, then. Always a pleasure meeting a nice irken.” The alien slithered away and Dib sighed. What an odd person.

He went to check out the drinks and grabbed a random energy drink. It wasn’t even an irken product but he didn’t care, he just wanted to get back to the ship. Food in hand, he went up to the counter and handed it over for the cashier to scan.

The cashier continued to look bored as they did so and Dib saw unfamiliar numbers show up on the register. Then the cashier hit another button and the numbers changed over to the ones Dib was familiar with, showing a total of 5.13 monies.

Dib examined the counter and saw there was a card reader that also had a few different ports on it, one of which looked compatible with PAK wires. He drew a wire out that was used for transferring banking data and hooked it in. The screen asked if he wanted cash back and he clicked no, then he clicked yes to confirm the payment amount. After a few moments, it accepted the payment and told him he could remove the wire. He unhooked it and stowed it away.

The cashier handed him his bag with a quiet mutter of, “Thanks, have a nice day,” and then went back to fiddling with random stuff on the counter again.

“Thanks,” Dib replied, briskly heading outside. He figured it would be interesting having a job where one got to talk to a lot of aliens from all over the galaxy, but maybe the novelty wore off after a while. Especially if the place was regularly as empty as it was right now.

Besides the fuel station there were few other buildings. One seemed to sell liquor and various drugs. There were a couple fast food restaurants and an ATM. Other than that, it was desolate.

Dib went to get back in the taxi. Zim had already finished fueling it and was waiting for him. “How’d it go?” he asked.

“Fine but awkward, I barely understood the labels on anything. I mean I have translation software, but, ya know.” Dib gestured toward the energy drink he had picked out. “It takes me a while to actually get what I’m looking at.”

“Ah, it’ll come with practice.” Zim picked up the drink and examined it, eyes widening slightly. “Oh wow, good luck drinking this.” He handed it back.

“Why, what’s wrong with it?”

“Besides the level of caffeine high enough to give you cardiac arrest?”

“Oh.” Dib looked at the nutrition facts. “Aw man, all that caffeine but it has zero sugar, what a rip off.”

“Want me to run in and get you a replacement?”

“No, it’s fine.” Dib popped it open and Zim shrugged, flying the taxi back up toward the airlock. Dib took a drink and shuddered slightly; it tasted almost acidic. There was a vague fruity flavor but it wasn’t near sweet enough to make up for the acid. “Is this filled with battery acid or something?”

“Might be, it’s an alien drink, never know what you’re gonna get.”

Dib choked down another mouthful. He didn’t like wasting things he had paid for but he wasn’t sure he’d be able to finish this. “Eugh.”

“Is it really that bad?” Zim held his hand out for it. Dib gave it to him and he took a swig. His eye twitched and he swallowed with a pained groan before saying, “Okay that’s pretty nasty, and I’ve had the powdered drinks that come in MREs that you have to mix with your canteen water, but those are a delicacy compared to this.”

Dib sighed and examined the inside of the taxi. “There’s a trash receptacle in here, let me just…” He took the can and opened the slot, throwing it in. He heard the receptacle’s internal mechanism crushing it down. “Gross.”

“Lesson learned, don’t go drinking random alien beverages unless you’re completely sure what’s in them,” Zim said. He reached down to their few remaining snacks and tossed him a soda. “Here.”

“Thank you.” Dib took several long gulps of it to wash the taste of the energy drink out of his mouth. The soda was sweet, tart, and absolutely divine in comparison. He popped open the bag of chips and offered some to Zim, looking outside as they passed through the airlock and back into space.

The last leg of the trip felt like the longest. Zim and Dib frequently kept checking to see how much further they had to go, feeling better as the hours ticked down, but still dreading how much longer they had to wait.

They began to see more ship traffic as they grew closer to Venesia. Dib tensed but Zim explained that it was a highly popular planet with robust tourism and a high quality of life so many of the citizens regularly flew off world to visit nearby star systems for shopping, vacationing, and even work. They would be able to slip right in with the traffic and would be stopping at one of the moons to apply for a refugee status. The Venesia Refugee Bureau was very helpful and kind, he assured Dib. They would help them with finding a home and getting their new life started.

“Will they accept us?” Dib asked. “Is our situation serious enough?”

“We’re on the run from Irk,” Zim replied. “It’s automatically serious enough. They’ll approve our application.”

“How long does that take?”

“Not long, probably only a day, they’ll likely put us up in a nearby hotel while we wait.”

“Really? That’s pretty generous.”

“These are very good people,” Zim reiterated. “Almost foolishly kind, but well, nothing bad has happened to them yet. Many races mistook their kindness for weakness and paid the price. Anyone who has tried to assault the planet has been swiftly destroyed.”

“Damn.”

“Indeed.”

Zim hummed and checked the navigational screen. “Only a couple more hours until we reach the edge of the Venesia solar system. You’re going to love it, they have this gorgeous red giant Sun and there’s actually two planets in the habitable green zone. Venesia is the warmer, more populated one and its sister planet, Haldron, is rather cold but a popular destination for those who love snow and winter sports. There isn’t a native sapient species there but it does have plenty of its own life that had a distinct evolutionary path from Venesia, which made things very interesting when the Venesians finally developed the technology to fly over there and begin studying. The species are made up of the same amino acids but there is no common ancestry they can find. Fascinating stuff.”

“Oh cool. So animals from the two planets probably can’t hybridize, right?”

“Right,” Zim confirmed. “They’ve done experiments and it’s pretty much impossible naturally, though they’ve been able to pull it off with heavy genetic modification. There are a species of bird there that they think are entering a sort of Stone Age, however.”

“Wow! Are they gonna be left alone so they can do that?”

“Mhm, the Venesians have been very serious about the birds being left alone, there are heavy fines for anyone caught harming them or their habitat and killing one is treated as a serious crime. So the habitats are pretty much left untouched, though there is a team of scientists that have been carefully making contact with the birds and trying to help them with their needs, teaching them to make tools, trying to learn their language and teach Venesian to them in turn. I’m sure that’ll be a fascinating project for us to follow along with once we live on Venesia.”

“Yeah, absolutely.” Dib thought back to something Zim had once told him. “You were a scientist for a while, right? Maybe you could get in on that.”

“Haha, I was a scientist but I worked in weapons development and engineering,” Zim replied. “I know very little about biology and zoology and er, whatever else the scientists working with those birds have to know.”

“Ah, right. Well, I still think you’d do well as a scientist of some sort when we get to Venesia.”

“I’ll consider it.”

They were about twenty minutes away from the edge of the solar system when Zim took the controls and began pushing the ship to fly faster, eager to get there. He could see the star in the distance, along with the furthest planet from it, which was a large gas giant. They were almost there.

Then, as they were mere minutes away, Zim spotted a purple ship hovering toward the left of the line of ships he was following toward the system. He immediately went on alert, recognizing its design instantly and taking manual control of the ship to fling it sideways and out of the space lane. The other ship moved, firing a pulse of energy that grazed the side of the taxi. The taxi jerked and its inhabitants were both flung against the wall. Zim swore and checked the damage. The hull had a gouge cut out of it but wasn’t yet compromised.

“Who was that, was that an irken ship?” Dib demanded.

“It sure was. Guess they did decide to go on ahead and wait for us.” Zim narrowed his eyes as he saw an incoming call. He was being hailed by ‘Irken Fleet Commander Gar.’ He considered ignoring it but opened the channel, turning to face the other ship but not fleeing quite yet. “Who are you?” he demanded.

“Is that any way to talk to your superiors?” the irken on screen asked. He looked to be in his forties, with long antennae and a long scar crossing over one of his dark red eyes. “You’ve led us on quite the chase, Reproducer Zim, but it’s time to give up.”

Zim saw the other’s ship begin charging a cannon. He responded hotly, “Never. I’ve made my decision. Irk is not my home anymore. The only person I care about is my mate. So we left together.”

“After all the trouble you’ve caused the empire, you think you can just get away with your crimes by running away here? No. I’m going to put you down like the animal you are.”

Zim slid his hand slowly across a nearby screen, quietly opening another communications channel and trying to get the attention of the nearest Venesian patrol by sending a distress signal. In the meantime, he had to keep Gar talking. “The empire wants me gone, right?” Zim said. “Well, this is me leaving. I won’t be a problem anymore. Who cares if I’m dead or alive if none of you ever have to see me again? Let Dib and I cross into the Venesian neutral zone and we’ll no longer be a concern. We’ll be their problem.”

“I’m sure you’d like that but I have orders. My orders are to destroy your ship and leave you both for dead out here. You’ve escaped a lot of consequences throughout your life, but no more. You will die.” Gar reached off screen and Zim set his expression as he saw that energy cannon take aim. It would fire at the speed of light. From this distance it would be nearly impossible to dodge. Not in a ship like this.

Zim gave the controls a small nudge, letting the ship drift closer toward the solar system. His distress signal was being heard, Venesian text scrolling across the screen asking for a status. He couldn’t afford to explain the full situation and merely sent them his coordinates. “Commander Gar,” he insisted. “Do you really want to take a shot at me this close to the Venesian border? It may be taken as a declaration of war.”

“We’re not near the planet, we’re outside its solar system,” Gar replied tersely. “They have no say in us dealing with a traitor here. Now shut up. We’re done talking.”

The Venesian ship hadn’t responded further. Zim took Dib’s hand and squeezed it, trying frantically to think of how he could avoid that shot. Any sudden move could result in the other firing immediately. The fighter had flown in closer to them, putting itself in point blank range. A risky position against a ship that had weapons, but the taxi didn’t.

Zim cast the commander a pleading stare. He hadn’t wanted to resort to this but he had no other options. “At least give me and my mate a chance to say goodbye.”

“Ugh, your new assignment has made you so pathetic,” Gar scoffed. “You’re not just a traitor, but a weak and emotional one. Fine, say your goodbyes.”

Dib took Zim’s other hand and turned him to face him. “You can’t give up this easily, we’re almost there,” he said.

Zim sighed and gazed into his eyes, doing his best to smile. “I’m sorry. I guess I can’t outrun my past that easily. The empire has a lot of reasons to want me dead. But we had some pretty good times together, huh?”

“Zim…” Dib glanced out the window and then back at him, eyes watering. “No, come on, what are you doing? You have to have a way out. You always have a way out. Don’t let this guy win.”

“He’s in point blank range with a weapon that can reduce this entire ship to atoms,” Zim replied. “He’s an obviously experienced pilot. There isn’t really a way out of this one.”

“It’s not right, we can’t give up, we finally made it! We’re together, we were going to have a family!” Dib looked down toward Zim’s stomach and then back at his face, moving closer. “Please. You have to do something.”

Zim wiped the tears from the other’s face. “Be brave, love. Don’t let them see you cry. We don’t want them saying we went down like cowards, do you?”

Dib sniffed and blinked the tears away. “This can’t be the end, I don’t want to say goodbye.”

Zim rested their foreheads together. “I don’t want to either. But this is it. It was a good run. We had good times together. But it’s over. Goodbye.”

Fresh tears flowed down Dib’s face. “Zim…”

On screen, Gar let out a groan and gestured to the crew of his ship. “Okay, that’s enough, you’re making us sick.” He addressed the crew. “Cannons at full power! Target locked! Destroy this scum in the name of the Irken Empire!”

Zim swept Dib into his arms and buried his face against his chest, not wanting him to see the laser coming. He kept his own eyes on the fighter though, staring it down with every bit of defiance he had, bracing himself for a blast he knew he would not survive.


	14. The Sentinel

The blast from the irken fighter never came.

Instead, there was a pulse of energy from the right that battered it so hard it listed sideways, the cannon flickering and shutting off along with every visible light on it. The still open channel to Gar suddenly cut off.

Zim perked and he saw a new call come through that he immediately answered. The face of a Venesian appeared, urgently saying, “Irken fugitive, that EMP will have only temporarily disabled them. Follow us.” A sleek silver ship flew over to them, getting between them and the irken fighter.

Zim grinned and replied, “Yes, thank you!” and took the controls to follow. Dib leaned back, staring at the screen.

“Wait, what just happened?”

“The Venesians heard our call and saved us! I hoped that saying goodbye would buy us enough time and it did!” Zim was ecstatic. The border approached, not visible in space but showing as a dotted line on his navigational screen. With that other ship at his side he wasn’t worried anymore. It was more than capable of blocking any shots from the fighter.

“All right!” Dib cheered.

Zim heard Gar talk again, this time addressing the Venesian, but Zim could still make out what he was saying. “We weren’t in your space yet, Venesian! Stand aside, you’re escorting the disgraced ex-soldier Zim. He’ll surely spell ruin for your entire planet. You’re better off handing him over to us.”

The Venesian looked at Zim, the feathers around their face fanning out slightly as they gazed into his eyes, and Zim said, “I want only a free life for myself, my mate, and…” He cupped his stomach. He wasn’t quite showing yet but he knew he would soon. “Our smeets. We won’t be any trouble.”

The Venesian blinked and nodded, moving their purple eyes from him over to where Gar’s screen must be. “If he’s disgraced and not part of your military anymore then he obviously doesn’t fit into your empire. All I see is a desperate pair of parents who want to be free from your tyranny. So we’re taking them in. If they cause problems, we can deal with them ourselves. Be gone, Commander Gar.” With that, they led the taxi right through into the neutral zone. “Pursuing us further will be considered an act of war.”

Gar swore and there was a ding as he cut communications. The Venesian shook their head and looked back at Zim. “I apologize for the late arrival, irken Zim. I was several light minutes away when your distress signal came in.”

“That’s okay, I’m just glad you came,” Zim replied. “We were heading to the Venesia Refugee Bureau on the moon Sen. We can continue on from here.”

“No need. I would like for you to dock with my ship and I’ll take you the rest of the way. Just in case Gar decides to get cocky.”

Zim agreed, flying over to the other ship. He was directed around to the back, where it had a small bay he was able to enter. It wasn’t a very large vessel so he was surprised it had room to allow another ship to dock with it, but it was a suitable space. He landed and the hatch closed, a light in the room coming on to tell him it was safe to exit.

“Just to warn you in advance, Venesian air has a higher percentage of oxygen, but it shouldn’t be enough to bother you, might just make you a little loopy,” Zim said to Dib before grabbing his bag and getting out. Dib checked the floor of the ship for anything they might need before getting up and leaving too.

They headed over to the exit of the bay, where the Venesian that had spoken to them was waiting to greet them.

“A pleasure to meet you, I’m Sentinel Aernold,” they said, bowing their head to them. Zim bowed his in return and Dib, while confused, did the same. He’s seen a few pictures of Venesians but it wasn’t quite the same as actually standing in front of one. The other was bipedal and about the same height as him, but they were covered in light blue scales and had a rather different body shape. Their slender torso leaned forward, a long tail stretching out behind them for balance, and their digitigrade legs ended in dangerous talons. Their arms were thinner but had hands with wicked claws as well, their shoulders leading into a sinewy neck going up to a face with a snout full of sharp teeth. This was clearly a carnivorous creature. But despite that, they had a kind expression and their face was framed in fluffy feathers, which also trailed down their back and to the base of their tail, where they fanned out and became striped with several bright shades of purple, blue, and green.

“A pleasure to meet you as well,” Zim replied, straightening up, and Aernold straightened their back a bit too. Despite how it made them taller and more imposing, they weren't intimidating. “I am Zim and this is my mate, Dib. We were Reproducers back on Irk but decided to make our escape when we realized the injustice of the job.”

“Ah, Reproducers. You are certainly not the first ones to come here. It’s sad how you are allowed to share in such joy with each other but then forced to live apart when not serving your empire.”

“Exactly!” Zim was glad the other understood. “We couldn’t stand it anymore. It was just too much, having to lay eggs and then give them up, over and over… and not being able to see the one I loved when I wanted, only when it was time to fertilize more eggs again…” He growled. “Maybe it’s selfish. But I never belonged on Irk. I was bred to be a soldier. A weapon for the empire. But I made far too many mistakes. I was loyal as could be to the cause, but my methods were unconventional. I was reckless. I caused serious harm to our own assets and was deemed a liability. They tried many times to find a place for me before removing me from military work altogether. I was sent to be a Reproducer. To provide smeets for the empire’s needs. It was something I couldn’t mess up, they said. But they underestimated me again.” Zim clenched his fists, looking at Dib and smiling before looking back at Aernold. “I fell for the sire they matched me to. And I would do anything for him. So I saved us both from that unjust life. It was a rough escape but we finally made it. Thank you for helping us.”

“It sounds like you’ve been through a lot. Please, come to the bridge with me. We can discuss your situation in more detail there.” Aernold led them through the ship. It seemed they were the only person flying it. Zim also noticed that while irken ships were built for practicality, this one seemed to be built for comfort. Rather than having a cold metal floor, there was carpet. The walls were made of a comforting, almost blue shade of metal and the lights emitted a soft yellow glow that Zim and Dib could feel warmth from as they passed under them.

The bridge had a large seat in front of the control console with a few more seats organized behind it. They were all empty and there were bench seats along the side walls. This ship was clearly meant to accommodate passengers.

Aernold sank into their seat and checked the console, giving it directions before turning to look at Zim and Dib as they took the closest seats to them. “The flight to Sen will only take another hour in your time but I think that’s plenty long enough for us to talk. Why don’t you both tell me your stories?”

Zim and Dib passed the time telling Aernold about everything that led up to them deciding to run away together. While Dib’s tale was fairly straightforward, as he led a fairly easy life as someone who was programmed as a Reproducer from the start, Zim had much more to talk about. His childhood was full of misery, he faced constant abuse for his mistakes but kept picking himself up and trying harder, determined to prove that he was a good soldier for Irk. He was intelligent and crafty and wanted to make the empire better. Surely they would see his potential. Surely he would make his superiors proud.

But he never could. Even when he succeeded in his tasks he was brushed off. It was what was expected of everyone, after all. And every time he tried to go above and beyond the call of duty, he only seemed to make things worse. He drew negative attention to himself. He harmed his fellow irkens or destroyed their own property or equipment. He was disciplined often. He was mocked by his fellow soldiers. Called incompetent. Worthless. _Defective._

Being defective was a death sentence, he knew. He strived to avoid being sent for an existence evaluation. As much as he denied it to everyone else, he knew there was something deeply flawed with him and if such a trial proved it, he would be killed. He couldn’t let that happen. As hard as his life was, he liked being alive and had hope that one day things would be better for him.

Eventually, his path led to him causing so much trouble at the beginning of Operation Impending Doom I that the Tallest finally gave up on him and had him evaluated for a reassignment. Not as bad as an existence evaluation but anything could have been chosen. Zim could have been sentenced to being a food drone in some disgusting, greasy restaurant on the other side of the galaxy. He could have been made a table-headed service drone, or janitorial staff for high ranking irkens too proud to clean up after themselves, or sewage maintenance! But in the end he was assigned Reproducer and sent to Irk to live in a breeding facility and be matched to a sire, whose job would be to fertilize his eggs. It could have been an impersonal affair.

But Zim was always prone to strong attachments with those he was around often and something just clicked with him and Dib. They decided that if they were expected to make smeets together for the next several decades of their lives, they might as well be good to each other and be mates. They had fallen fast.

Zim and Dib both smiled a lot as they talked about the past year of their life together, though the pain still showed on their faces when they described the way they would be prompted to separate and go back to their own rooms once the mating was done. They couldn’t hold each other. They couldn’t snuggle and fall asleep together. They had to leave each other, only able to talk with their communicators, until after Zim laid his eggs and they could meet in person once more.

The cycle took its toll on both of them and Zim eventually rebelled against it. He came up with the escape plan and Dib, though he was apprehensive, decided to go with it. Their plan was found out and their boss almost stopped them, but they got away. And now they were finally safe.

“Yes,” Aernold said as they finished their stories. “You’re both safe. Along with your smeets. I’m honored to take you to your new home. You both suffered greatly to get here and I want to see you both at peace. The Irken Empire boasts of its perfection but I hear stories like yours often. So many irkens do not fit into that perfect system, yet they must hide their flaws and their doubts lest they be declared defective. What a sad word you have for those who do not fully conform. You are not pieces in a machine. You are individuals. You should all be free to be who you want to be, instead of being forced into a specific role and then being punished when some of you, understandably, struggle with it. But no point getting irate over it. Venesia has no say over Irk’s customs. We can criticize it all we want but we cannot change it. So instead, I would just like to congratulate you on escaping it. I know it must have been very hard to realize how unjust it was. Many irkens never let themselves doubt. I understand why. It’s dangerous to question the system. But you both did anyway. That is very brave.”

The two chuckled and nodded, thanking them. Aernold turned their chair and looked out the window.

“Ah, look. We’re approaching our sister planet, Haldron. A permanent winter wonderland.”

Zim and Dib both stood to look outside. The planet had an ocean and several continents that didn’t connect to each other. The continents were mostly white and brown in color, though there was some green toward the equator.

“It’s very cold there for a Venesian,” Aernold said. “We are endothermic but have difficulty regulating our temperatures in freezing or lower conditions. Many layers of clothing are necessary for such a place. But it does make a fun vacation spot for those who can tolerate it, and many aliens who are accustomed to cold weather choose to stay there instead of on Venesia. I imagine you two, however, have no interest in Haldron as a home.”

Zim and Dib rapidly shook their heads and the other laughed. Irkens were notably picky about the weather as they came from a very moderate planet that was neither hot nor cold, but hovered at a comfortably warm temperature year round. While irkens could regulate their temperature, they didn’t enjoy doing so. Luckily, Venesia had several locations that stayed in the irken comfort zone for most of the year and so was home to many irkens who had fled their planet.

As they neared Sen, Zim and Dib decided to send the taxi they stole back to Irk. Zim went to the small hangar and got into the ship to check it for anything they might need, but they had already brought their bags of stuff to the bridge. So he looked through the ship’s programming and found a recall protocol that would send it back to a designated recovery point. Zim hadn’t changed that location while hacking it, so he told the ship to go home. With that done, he exited the bay and listened as the ship took off and flew out as soon as the outer hatch opened. Once it was gone, Zim returned to the bridge and looked out the wide viewport. Venesia was directly in front of them, larger than Haldron and with less ocean, instead being filled with lush green land masses and large lakes that, although they couldn’t be seen from space, led into wide rivers filled with countless species of fish.

Dib stared at it with wonder and even Zim let out an appreciative whistle. It was definitely one of the most beautiful planets he’s visited. It was strange to think that he wasn’t here to battle on its surface or subdue its people. He was going to live here. This was his new home.

Once they had their fill of the planet, Aernold flew around it, skimming the atmosphere as he went around to the night side, where Sen was orbiting. The moon also had an atmosphere and foliage but most of its surface was used for official business, containing government offices, military outposts, and scientific research stations. It was a bustling area. Zim saw ships from several different alien races landing and taking off.

“Busy place,” Dib commented.

“Nearly everyone seeking citizenship here has to come through these offices,” Aernold explained. “So yes, it is very often busy. But we’re proud to assist everyone who comes to us.” They requested clearance from the moon’s space traffic control tower and were directed down to an available landing zone near the office they wanted to go to.

It was a smooth landing and they got up, powering the ship off.

“Are you coming with us?” Zim asked, surprised.

“Of course.” Aernold went over to a cabinet and took out a backpack, bringing it over. “Here, you can place your belongings in this, it’ll be easier to carry than those bags you have now. And you can use this for the paperwork and anything else you receive while applying to live here.”

“Oh, thanks.” Dib accepted it and put his stuff inside, Zim doing the same. Dib shouldered the backpack and Aernold led them out.

“I don’t want to take you away from your duties,” Zim said as they stepped out onto the concrete of the landing pad.

“This is my duty,” Aernold replied. “I’m a Sentinel. My job is to patrol the space around Venesia and assist and protect visitors and citizens alike. I’m more than happy to show you where you need to go from here.” They led the way.

Zim and Dib hurried along behind them. They were soon stepping onto a sidewalk and walking along a road as they went to the Venesia Refugee Bureau. It was only a few minutes away but they enjoyed the walk, looking around at the healthy green grass and trees covered in flowers. Birds flew through the air and Zim explained to Dib that the moon had been terraformed and had much of Venesia’s life on it, though the animals here had evolved to be more suited for the lower gravity.

They passed plenty of other aliens along the way. There were irkens, Vortians, a few Meekrob, Coneheads, even Screwheads! That was impressive, those guys were notoriously rebellious and attempts at escape were punished so harshly it kept many Screwheads from trying. But apparently some still managed to get away.

They reached the building and Aernold opened the door to allow them in. “Welcome to your new life, my friends. Just sign in on the computer over there and then wait to be called, and you will be directed to a desk. You’ll be taken care of from here on out.”

“Thank you,” Zim said. “Seriously, you saved our lives back there.”

“You’re welcome. I’m happy to have met you both. Good luck.” Aernold bowed their head and Zim and Dib copied them. They walked away and the two went to the computer they had pointed out to sign in. It was crowded in here but there seemed to be lots of desks for assisting people so they figured they wouldn’t have long to wait.

“Can't believe we actually made it,” Dib said as they took a seat in the lobby.

Zim wrapped an arm around his and leaned over to nuzzle him. “Believe it. Everything will be good from here on out.”

Dib nuzzled him back, moving a hand to Zim's round belly and giving it a squeeze. “I know it will.”


	15. The Venesia Refugee Bureau

Despite the relaxed atmosphere of the lobby, Zim and Dib were both nervous while they waited. Zim worried that his past would cause the Venesians to not trust him enough to grant him refuge here. Dib worried about it too but he was mostly anxious about being this far from Irk. Everything felt different. He was surrounded by aliens that he had previously only seen pictures of. The architecture of the building was strange. Even the air felt odd.

But he kept himself calm by gripping Zim’s hand and distracted himself with a magazine from a nearby table. There were many to choose from and he settled on one that seemed aimed at irkens, which discussed various towns with favorable climates and what the neighborhoods were like there.

He soon found an article about a town that had a large mall with an amusement park built inside it and showed Zim. “Hey, doesn’t that look cool? It’s a huge mall… with a theme park inside! It even has coasters.”

Zim relaxed a bit as he looked at the pictures. “That sounds like a fun place to visit.”

“Yeah! Apparently there’s a few cities with malls like that on Venesia but this one is located in a town with a large irken population. And there are plenty of available houses there.”

“Hm.” Zim’s antennae lowered slightly. “I’m not sure if I want to live near a lot of other irkens, though. Sure, it will make some things easy, but…” He sighed. “Everyone will know who I am. They might not like having me around. I don’t want them to cause trouble for us.”

“Come on, I’m sure it’d be fine,” Dib said. “Everyone comes here for a new life, right? I think other irkens will understand you’re trying to start over. All that war crime stuff is in the past. Can’t fix it now. But we can live wherever you’re most comfortable.”

“An irken community would certainly have more of the comforts we’re used to,” Zim mused. “And it will be easier getting the right healthcare. I’m sure there are far more irken doctors in such communities. Hm. Yes, maybe we could live in a place like this. But I would like our home to have space! I don’t want to live shoved up against some stranger’s house.”

“Fair. Though I think I could deal with that. We were all right next to each other back at the breeding facility. True, the walls were well-insulated, but still.”

“Eh.” Zim shrugged. He leaned forward to grab a magazine for himself and Dib saw him rest a hand over his stomach. “As long as we have space for us and our smeets.”

Dib smiled and nuzzled him. “How many do you want to have?”

“Well, right now I'm gravid with two. I think that’s an excellent start. As for how many in total… heh, I’m not sure. I guess I’ll figure that out once I see what these ones are like.”

“Yeah.” Dib touched Zim’s stomach too. “Two is a good place to start. I’d be happy with more, though. And you know… I wouldn’t mind bearing the next eggs.”

Zim sat up a bit at that. “Really? Are you sure?”

Dib nodded. “Of course. You’ve been bearing and laying eggs nonstop for so long. You deserve a break. We should definitely both get on birth control after these ones in the meantime, but if we want more smeets, I’ll happily be the dam.”

“Now that’ll be interesting, seeing you gravid. But if you’re fine with it, I’m fine with it.” Zim pressed a kiss to his cheek and then looked back at his magazine. “Oh, look at the food in this ad! It’s making me hungry.”

“I’m hungry too,” Dib said. “We should get dinner once we’re done here.”

“Absolutely.”

It was only a few more minutes before their names were called. They put their magazines back and got up, heading for the desk that had their names displayed over it. Dib noticed a few irkens casting Zim stares, recognition on their faces, and protectively drew him closer. Zim, for the most part, walked confidently.

Once they reached the desk, their names vanished from above it to be replaced with a generic welcome message.

The Venesian sitting there smiled warmly and gestured to the chairs. “Good afternoon, I’m Miss Talson. Please have a seat.”

They sat down and the other began going through a cabinet gathering papers.

“Here to apply for refugee status?” she asked.

“Yes, ma’am,” Dib said.

“Very well. The application process doesn’t take long. I need to gather the forms for irkens but why don’t you two tell me about yourselves?”

Zim decided to start. “I am Rep- eh, Zim. Just Zim, now. And this is my mate, Dib. We were Reproducers on Irk for some time, but we were not allowed to be together despite our love for each other. When not making eggs that I then had to give up for the empire, we were kept separated. Eventually we couldn’t take it anymore and we fled so we could truly be together. We want to be parents. We want the freedom to raise our own smeets.”

“I know it probably sounds selfish,” Dib said. “Reproducers are necessary for the empire to keep its numbers high. But we just left. We’re replaceable, after all.”

“What is selfish is the Irken Empire enforcing such restrictions on its people,” Talson said, laying out the last paper she needed. “I’ve helped many Reproducers with similar stories. It is very sad how you are expected to bond in order to produce healthier litters, yet you cannot truly be together. But I commend you on finding the strength to leave that life and come here. I will do everything in my power to ensure you have a nice life here.” She gestured to the first of the papers, sliding a copy to both Zim and Dib. “Would you fill this out, please? This is general information I need to run background checks on both of you. This is for administrative purposes. We are generally very forgiving of irken crimes. You come from a harsh planet. Many of your people must take drastic measures to survive. If your application is accepted, amnesty will be granted for all crimes committed while in the service of the empire.”

They nodded in understanding and got to filling out the form.

“You speak irken very well,” Zim said as he wrote. “Many alien species seem to struggle with it.”

“It is a difficult language, but once I learned its structure, the rest clicked fairly easily. Now, please give all dates using the irken calendar system. Our systems will convert it later. Let me know if you have questions about anything on the form.”

The general information form was pretty straightforward. It asked for name, PAK ID, hatching date, previous duty titles, pronouns, even whether the individual was in a pairbond or not and if so, who it was with. It also had a section where it asked each of them to explain, in their own words, why they had left Irk and what they wished to gain from living on Venesia.

Talson coached them through writing their explanations, telling them to just be honest and write what they had told her. They were Reproducers looking to be able to have a family together. They had realized the injustice forced upon them on Irk and had finally escaped from it. And after defecting the way they did, it would never be safe for them to return to irken space.

Once they had written their explanations, Talson took the forms back and ran them through a scanner, going to the next papers while the info was transferred to her computer.

“Now, this is a medical history,” she said. “This is just so that you can be entered into our healthcare system. You’ll be issued ID cards and once you’ve moved into a home, you can visit medical centers and hospitals. I will definitely recommend you both get physicals done as soon as possible and be scheduled for regular check-ups. We take health very seriously here.”

“Of course,” Zim replied, pleased to hear that. He and Dib got to answering the questions about various illnesses and injuries they’ve had, Zim marking on his that he was currently pregnant. It also asked for number of eggs he’s laid in the past, and though it pained him, he knew the exact number and wrote it, along with a note that he couldn’t keep any.

While they filled the forms, Talson typed at her computer, making sure everything had transferred properly off the scanned papers and into her database. The hard copies were placed aside.

She ran her search of Zim and Dib’s PAK numbers while waiting as well. The history that was returned for Dib wasn’t especially remarkable. No legal trouble and he received high marks in all his schooling. She could see that he had been designated as a Reproducer since he hatched and was on that career path up until he left Irk. Then she pulled up Zim’s history.

The information that popped up made her visibly wince. “Oh dear. I apologize, Zim, but you have a very alarming history.”

His head snapped up, his eyes widening. “Oh?” He tried not to show fear, though Dib grew tense next to him, looking up too. “Well, my assignment as Reproducer was a punishment for the many… accidents I’ve had. My history is not the cleanest.”

“I can see that. Prior to your year as a Reproducer, I see that you were briefly an Invader as you graduated from the Academy, though it shows you were dishonorably separated from the military after sabotaging… Operation Impending Doom I?”

Zim sighed. “Yes. It was Tallest Red and Purple’s initial attempt to launch an invasion force capable of conquering multiple planets that would be useful to the empire. I was desperate to be part of that force to prove my worth, but the Tallest refused to allow me to participate. They ordered me to stand still, basically.” Zim let out a dry chuckle. “Back then I didn’t quite realize what they were doing. I had just stood in place, happy to serve, but then. Well, I got a better idea for how I could help. So I just went. Yes, I had trouble following orders. My PAK is likely defective. Anyway, long story short, in my enthusiasm to help with the mission I accidentally killed the rest of the Invaders who were trying to go to their planets. I was brought before the Control Brains for a reassignment. They gave me Reproducer and sent me off. It would be my way of replenishing the population of Irk after so many deaths. And that’s where I stayed… until I escaped with Dib, of course.”

“Of course. Hm, your file says you were assigned to the military at birth and you’ve been through a number of assignments, all of which you had to be transferred from due to inability to complete assigned duties… why is that?”

Zim fidgeted and Dib reached over to take one of his hands, settling him slightly. “Well.” Zim took a breath. Talson didn’t seem accusing, just curious. Her large eyes were locked on Zim’s and the feathers on the sides of her face were fanned open. He was familiar with the acute empathetic senses of Venesians and knew she wanted to understand why he did the things he did. So he explained the pressures he faced as one of the shortest irkens in his unit. He was constantly expected to fail because of his height, the other trainees heckled him and rarely wanted to assist him, and his superiors talked down to him. He was often given jobs above his skill level and though he would do his best, he would inevitably mess up, leading to the others belittling him and treating him like he was a dumb smeet who didn’t know anything.

He was yelled at often. Beaten. Pushed aside and treated like garbage. Yet he never stopped trying to prove himself. What choice did he have? If he gave up and outright refused to do his job, he faced far worse consequences. He could be sent for an existence evaluation. He could be declared defective and killed. So he pushed all his anger and misery aside and kept working to serve his empire. He did whatever he had to do to survive. He began taking risks as he tried to prove himself. He went above and beyond what his superiors requested of him and it often led to disaster but he always justified it as him just doing his best. He didn’t mean for it to go wrong. Let him try again!

And no, they would move him to some other duty section, find some new task for him. He excelled for a while as a shock troop, was even promoted to an Elite for it. He was sent into many high stakes battles and excelled simply due to his lack of self-preservation and how enemies underestimated him due to his size. The ferocity and speed with which he threw himself into combat won Irk many victories. But he was too reckless. He put other teammates at risk and they often lost their lives defending him while he almost never defended others in turn.

This, among other instances of recklessness, led to him being sent to Vort for a while where he could contribute to weapons research. They said his skills were well suited to it. He would make Irk unstoppable. And again, he took things too far and a project killed an Almighty Tallest who was visiting.

Zim ended up spending several minutes telling Talson all this, and she listened patiently the entire time, sometimes writing notes into her computer but mostly giving him her full attention.

When he was done telling his story and how it all led him here, she was quiet for a bit as she took it all in. Her facial feathers gave a few soft waves and finally she said, “You have gone through so much, Zim. I am truly sorry. I see now that you acted out of desperation. Everything you did was to stay alive in a world that would have gladly chewed you up and spit you out. Still, your aggression and volatility is still a concern. If your application is accepted, and it likely will be due to your circumstances, you may still be requested to attend therapy. I hope you understand. We would like to prevent any violent outbursts from an irken with a history such as yours.”

Zim sighed but nodded. “I understand. Therapy may be good for me, though you should know, I’ve been very well-behaved since becoming a Reproducer. Well, aside from escaping, but I was much more merciful than I usually would have been.” He took Dib’s hand and smiled at him. “Ever since I’ve met him, I’ve felt calmer. I don’t need to overachieve to get attention. I have his attention. His love. And it makes me feel right.”

Dib smiled and leaned over to brush their antennae together.

“I can see how good this relationship has been for both of you,” Talson said. “And honestly, Zim, I don’t truly think we have to worry about you being destructive like you were before. But the therapy will be a precaution. Just to check on your mental state and offer any counseling you may need. Irkens often have many years of trauma from their time under the empire’s tyranny and we want to ensure we help you through it. There are many fine irken mental health specialists who understand and can help you. So, have you both finished your medical history forms? Ah, thank you.” She accepted those from them and scanned them.

They discussed lighter topics as they went through the rest of the paperwork. Talson told them about the culture and laws on Venesia while they signed off that they understood what was expected of them while living on the planet. They wrote lists of skills and interests so they could receive recommendations for jobs, though all residents received housing and a basic universal income from the government. Jobs were for those who wanted an increase to their income for more luxuries. Doctors and other emergency personnel were paid especially well, thus making them lucrative career fields that attracted many applicants.

Venesia also highly valued law experts, entertainers, and producers of art, whether that be paintings, music, novels, or film.

It sounded like a wonderful place.

Once Zim and Dib had filled out everything that was required, Talson thanked them and provided them each with a folder filled with copies of their paperwork to hold onto. She gave them a time when they could return to the office tomorrow to find out the status of their application. She said that due to Zim’s history, they may have to attend an interview with the refugee organization’s director, who had final say when it came to complicated applications.

“Is the director er, friendly?” Dib asked while they packed up their papers.

“He can be stern,” Talson admitted. “But he’s also quite fair. He just wants to make sure that everyone who comes to Venesia understands our ideals and is dedicated to living their best lives here. We know we can’t control everyone. There are people who are granted citizenship and cause problems, but well, that can be said of citizens who were born here too. Still, we do our best to vet everyone who comes in because we want things to stay as peaceful and organized as possible. Just tell him your stories when you see him and he will understand. I don’t think he’ll refuse you.” Talson turned to her computer and printed something off. “Here, I reserved you a room at a hotel nearby for the night. The hotel will provide you with breakfast but here’s a voucher for meals from a number of restaurants within walking distance.” She passed them some papers.

“Oh, we don’t have to pay for any of this?” Zim asked as he gathered the papers.

She shook her head. “No, sir. This is all courtesy of the Venesia Refugee Bureau. Taxes go toward providing these sorts of services. If one or both of you find work, you will pay taxes, but it will ensure future refugees also get the same assistance you do. As well as contributing to schools, healthcare, roads, and so on as I went over before.” She sat back. “Is there anything else I can do for you?”

“You’ve done more than enough,” Zim replied, feeling a little emotional. They just got here and already so much was being done to help them. This really was a good planet. He wished it wasn’t so villainized back on Irk. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure. If you leave through the front doors over there, go left. The hotel is a couple minute walk from here. Please don’t hesitate to reach back to us here if you need anything.”

“Of course. Thank you.” Zim stood and Dib rested an arm around him as he got up too, giving him an affectionate side hug.

“Yes, thank you,” Dib said earnestly.

Talson nodded. “You’re welcome. Have a pleasant evening.”

Dib swung the backpack over a shoulder and they headed outside. Zim wasted no time in grabbing Dib’s hands and swinging them playfully from side to side, beaming at him. “See? Everything went well!”

Dib grinned, feeling tension melt from his body. “Yeah. But we still have to see how our applications go.”

“I’m sure we’ll be accepted. So, want to go to the hotel first, or get food?”

“Hm, let’s drop our stuff off at the hotel. Then we can get food.”

“Sounds good.” Zim let go of one of Dib’s hands but kept gripping the other as he moved briskly down the sidewalk with him. It wasn’t out of any sort of urgency, he was just really excited to see what sort of room they had been set up in.

They waved to most of the aliens they passed, politely greeting them. Many were happy to wave back. The few irkens they passed tended to skirt nervously around them though.

“The irkens here are on edge,” Dib commented.

“Yes, well, escaping Irk is a difficult affair, they’re likely still stressed out. Plus I’m sure they recognize me. I wouldn’t worry about it.”

They were soon at the hotel. Zim took the lead as they approached the front desk and explained who they were, showing the employee the reservation that Talson had given him.

“Oh yes, we received your reservation from the bureau,” the Venesian said cheerfully. “A couple, yes? You’ll be in one of our suites for the night. It’s a double bed but I assume you’ll only need the one?”

Zim nodded. “Yes, just one, but it’ll be nice having the extra space.”

The employee hummed as he grabbed a couple card keys and swiped them through a machine, keying them to the room. “You’ll be in room 350 on the third floor. Do you know when you’ll be returning to the bureau tomorrow?”

“Yes, we were told we can return for an update by noon.”

“Alright, in that case I’ll mark the room down as reserved until two in the afternoon, is that enough time?”

“Plenty,” Zim replied.

“Great. Let me know if you need longer. And if you need another night here, please let the bureau know so they can arrange that.” The employee passed the cards over. “You’ll find an elevator right over here. Your room also has an ice machine and some vending machines not too far from it, there will be signs.”

“Ooh, thanks.” Zim handed a card to Dib.

“Enjoy your stay.”

Zim and Dib headed to the elevator and took it up. It was a quick ride to the third floor and they actually passed the mentioned ice and vending machines along the way. They didn’t stop to look though, wanting to see their room.

When they arrived, Dib unlocked the door and opened it for Zim. “After you, love.”

“Aw, thank you, love,” Zim teased.

Dib followed him in and bumped his hip playfully.

The room was dim so they turned on the lights. And let out impressed gasps. It was quite spacious, the two beds rectangular (strange compared to the circular ones irkens preferred) but still large, their covers deep blue. Each bed had multiple plump white pillows. The carpet below was lush and light blue. There was a desk, a dresser with a TV, and even a small sitting area with a couch, coffee table, and armchair. Directly across the room from the door was a large window with its curtains drawn shut. Everything was nicely decorated, paintings on the walls and a few potted plants throughout the room.

To the left of the entrance was a pristine bathroom, its tiles mostly white, though they had swirls of lavender and blue. The room smelled flowery and had a large counter with an equally large mirror over it. There were two sinks.

Zim briefly peaked in at the tub, finding that it was also a shower that seemed to have multiple settings on the shower head. He stepped back out of the bathroom and checked out the rest of their room. There was a kitchen with plenty of counter space, a stove, microwave, fridge, even a coffee maker.

Dib had already set their bag down near the desk and was throwing the curtains open. The soft evening light came in and Zim went to stand next to him, looking out.

Dib briefly checked out the street below, then raised his eyes to the sky and gasped. “Whoa. Is that… what is that?”

“Hm?” Zim looked too, briefly concerned, then chuckled when he saw what he was staring at. He rested an arm around Dib’s waist. “That’s Venesia. You can see it from this moon at night.”

“Whoa. I thought it might be, I just didn’t think it would look so large. That’s amazing.”

“It is.” It was a sight Zim has seen countless times on various planets and moons throughout his career, but somehow it seemed more special now. He was going to make a home for himself on that planet they were watching. He and his mate would live there together. Them and their children.

Zim’s hand went to his stomach and he sighed happily. He stood there with Dib for a while, letting him get his fill of experiencing an alien sky for the first time.

Then Dib stepped back. “So cool. So, want to get dinner now?”

“Absolutely.”


	16. Dinner Together

There were many different restaurants the meal vouchers allowed them to choose from. Directly across from their hotel was a buffet. A few buildings down was a steakhouse. There were places that sold food from various regions of Venesia and even from Haldron.

After some discussion, they elected to go to a noodle restaurant. Zim has found that carb-heavy foods were a staple of many planets and you were guaranteed to find rice, noodles, and bread, or equivalents, nearly everywhere you went throughout the galaxy. He was sure Venesian noodles tasted as good as any other, especially as he has heard they were often served in soups.

The restaurant only took a few minutes to walk to. It was busy but the wait for a table was only a few more minutes. When there was one ready, they were led through the crowded restaurant to a table near a window.

Savory scents filled the air and as Zim and Dib glanced at the tables they passed, they noticed a lot of the dishes seemed to contain meat. But there were also irkens dining quite happily in here so there must be vegetarian options.

They were seated and handed two menus, then their server said he would be back in a couple minutes to get their drink orders.

Once he was gone, the two consulted the menus. They had been given ones written in irken.

“Wow, I wonder how many races they have menus for,” Dib commented.

“Dozens I’m sure. Though for more unexpected visitors, they likely provide digital menus programmed with hundreds of languages.” Zim examined the drink menu. There were plenty of options, including alcoholic ones. His mouth watered a bit. It’s been so long since he tasted alcohol. He wasn’t allowed it back at the breeding facility as it could negatively affect his eggs. And as far as he knew, sires couldn’t drink either. Across from him, he could tell Dib was eyeing the alcohol too.

Zim sighed and tore his eyes away. He still couldn’t drink. He didn’t want to risk the health of his current clutch. He briefly touched his stomach. It hasn’t been long enough for shells to form. They were definitely still drawing nutrients from his body. So he settled instead on a drink only vaguely described as sweet tea. He liked sweet. He wondered what type of leaf the tea was made from though.

“Should I get a cocktail?” Dib asked.

“Up to you,” Zim replied. “I can’t drink but you can.”

“Yeah but I never have before. I’m wondering if I should try it now that I can.”

Zim gave him an incredulous look. “You’ve never drank alcohol? I know you couldn’t while working as a Reproducer but what about before that?”

“It was never available to us,” Dib said with a shrug. “I didn’t bother asking about it. But I have wondered what it’s like.”

“Well! You should try it. Here, there’s some popular irken mixed drinks in this list. How about this one? The Purple Bomb. It’s a very sweet but tart mix of purpleberry liqueur and sweetened milk, which might not sound like it works together, but it does. It goes down smooth, though here’s the fun part. They bring it to you with pop rocks. You’re meant to toss a few in your mouth when you drink. They burst apart when they touch the liquid. Hence the bomb part of the name.”

“Really? Huh, creative.”

“It is. And it’s so good. I haven’t had one in ages but as soon as I’ve laid these eggs, I might just get the ingredients to make them.”

“I’ll try it,” Dib decided.

“Get a water too, you’ll want to stay hydrated,” Zim advised.

They began reading through the rest of the menu, checking out the many noodle dishes. Some were served on plates with various sauces, vegetables, and meat. Others were used in soup. There were also other foods altogether, such as sandwiches, salad, and even some fish dishes.

Their server returned to take their drink orders. Zim asked for the sweet tea and Dib asked, “Are these meal vouchers good for alcohol or do I have to get a normal drink?”

“You may pick one of our alcoholic beverages if you like, sir,” the server replied. “The vouchers from the refugee bureau are good for a meal and if that’s what you want with yours, I’ll bring it to you.”

“Oh, great. Uh, I want to try the Purple Bomb, then. Oh, and a water.”

The server wrote down the orders, then lifted a small electronic device. “May I check your PAK ID for your age?”

Dib glanced at Zim, who nodded to him. Dib recited the ID number and the server typed it in on his device and waited. After a moment, he said, “There we are. I’ll go ahead and get those drinks for you.” He walked away.

Dib gave Zim a questioning look. “Why did he need that?”

“He was making sure you’re classified as an adult,” Zim replied. “While we are technically considered mature from a young age, our PAKs accelerating our mental growth, our bodies obviously need time to catch up. Alcohol can still wreak havoc on an underdeveloped irken body. So the Venesians won’t serve to irken children. Which is fair, irkens back home wouldn’t either. Probably. Hm, I wonder if we can get ID cards or something with our ages instead of them having to run our PAK IDs.”

“Not sure. I hope so though.” Dib kept considering the food. “So, the Venesians can still access information about us from Irk even though we ran away? I figured people who defect would get all that information erased. Or at least, the Control Brains won’t let that kind of info be requested from other planets.”

“They have to allow it,” Zim replied. “It’s part of the treaty with Venesia. Our planets share information. Venesia is part of a huge interplanetary network. It would complicate things far too much for Irk to keep Venesia from accessing the databases for specific individuals. So it’s all just left available, though the empire does make its own notes. We most likely have huge defective labels slapped on the top of our files.”

“Huh, alright. So interesting, the relationship between here and Irk.”

“It really is. The only reason it still exists is those resources Venesia ships out. Though I wouldn’t be surprised if me coming here affects the treaty. Tallest Red and Purple might try and call to demand for my return anyway.”

“The last thing we need is the Tallest starting a war over you.”

“I doubt they would. But then, Red and Purple have made short-sighted decisions before. Maybe they will be so mad I got away from yet another assignment that they’ll try to get me back and punish me.” Zim sighed. “I’m so tired of all that. I want to just live here peacefully. I hope they let me.”

“Me too. But I think we’re okay. Does Irk usually try to get people back from here?”

“No. But then, those people usually aren’t me. You saw how that fighter pilot wanted to kill us. Even as close to the solar system as we were, he was willing to risk war by attacking us. They’re taking my escape very seriously.”

“Well, hopefully they do decide to just leave it alone. We’re here now. They just need to forget about us.”

“That would be nice. We’ll see. For now, let’s be careful. I'll try to keep up with news about me from Irk.”

Their tea and water soon arrived and they were informed the cocktail would be a while longer, which they were fine with. They decided go ahead and order their meals. Both ordered the same one. A soup loaded with noodles in a savory but vegetarian broth, though each bowl was apparently served with a single egg cracked open over the center of the soup, and there were various leafy garnishes judging from the picture. It also came with a helping of fruit ringed on a plate around the bowl itself.

“Excellent choice,” the server said. “I'll put that in and then I'll be right back with that Purple Bomb.” He headed back toward the kitchen.

Zim and Dib discussed the other foods on the menu for a while but were looking forward to trying what they had picked. They lingered over the desserts, growing hungrier just looking at the delectable cakes and other treats. A common Venesian dessert were balls of dough that were deep fried and then coated in sugar, sometimes glazed and sometimes powdered on depending on preference. They sounded delicious and Zim decided that if he was still hungry after the meal, he was getting those too.

Zim finished talking only to see that Dib was just resting his chin on his hands and gazing at him, smiling but not saying anything.

“What?” Zim asked, wondering why he was being so quiet.

“Oh, nothing. Just thinking about how cute you are.”

“Stop it, I'm not cute.” Zim balled up a napkin and threw it at him.

Dib made no move to stop it and it bounced harmlessly off his face. “Yeah you are. But seriously, I'm just thinking about how nice this is. We're actually having dinner together. I mean sure we ate snacks and stuff together in the taxi but that wasn't quite the same. We're actually here, in a restaurant, having dinner. Able to look at each other. It's not a video chat either, we're here together!” He reached across the table to grasp Zim's hands, beaming at him. “I can still hardly believe it!”

Zim's chest grew warm and he smiled back at him, squeezing his hands. “Yes. We really made it. It was tough, and when Gar had his cannon on us I thought we might not make it, but we did. We can live the life we want together.”

The Purple Bomb was delivered to the table by their server. Dib thanked him and picked the drink up, giving it a curious sniff. It certainly smelled sweet. It was vivid purple in color and seemed to have a creamy consistency. There was also a small bag of pop rocks that came with it, just like Zim had described.

“Alright, let's try this.” Dib tossed some of the rocks into his mouth and took a swig of the drink. Immediately he felt the rocks fizzle across his tongue while the tart sweetness of the liquid filled his mouth in an explosion of flavor. He quickly swallowed it down and sure enough, it went down smooth, leaving a unique tingling sensation behind.

Zim laughed at Dib's expression. “How is it?”

“Good. Very good, wow.” As strange as it had felt, Dib really liked the taste. He was already a fan of purpleberries and they tasted even better like this. “Do they grow purpleberries here, or do they import them in from Irk? Because they must have used really high quality ones in this.”

“I imagine they were bought or simply brought from Irk originally,” Zim said. “But then irken refugees likely began farming them here. If we do choose to move in to an irken community, we'll see plenty of farms growing crops from Irk.”

“Cool. That's so interesting, the idea of growing irken plants on a completely different planet.” Dib took another generous gulp of the Purple Bomb, not even bothering with the pop rocks for this one. Even without the fizzle, it tasted great.

“Indeed. The soil on Venesia is quite rich and many plants thrive in it, though some alien plants struggle nonetheless. In those cases, many alien communities here have dedicated bio domes where they recreate the atmosphere and soil conditions of their home planets.”

“Makes sense. Man, I can't wait to learn all about Venesia, and the different aliens who live here. Well, there, technically.” He gestured out a nearby window toward the sky, where Venesia had risen higher. “Weird seeing a planet without a ring.”

“It's actually quite uncommon for solid planets capable of carrying life to have rings,” Zim said. “Irk is odd in that regard. Most planets with life are close enough to their solar system's star that the solar wind blows away the rock and ice that would comprise a ring. Irk has a somewhat large star while the planet is just far enough from it to maintain a small ring. If our planet were even further away, the ring would likely be larger, but Irk would be too cold to sustain life.”

“Huh, interesting.”

They discussed astronomy while waiting for their food, Dib working through his drink while Zim sipped on his tea, which was quite good. Zim even allowed himself one drink from Dib's glass, but declined any more, as he didn't want to harm the smeets. But that sip did reaffirm how much he wanted to make one of those drinks for himself as soon as he could.

After about ten minutes, their food arrived. Their server placed the bowls carefully in front of them and warned them that the soup was very hot, then asked if they needed anything. Upon checking that they had all the necessary silverware and napkins, they said they were good and he left.

“Okay, wow, look at this.” Dib took a fork and prodded the egg that was simmering on top of the noodles. “This egg has a yellow yolk!”

“Yes, eggs laid by Venesian creatures mostly have yellow yolks rather than green,” Zim replied. “It is weird to see though.” He scooped up some of his own egg to give it a taste, then hummed in appreciation. “Tastes just as good, though.”

Dib tried his and gagged a bit. Zim gave him a concerned look and he smiled sheepishly. “Ah, I'm fine, I was just expecting it to taste like an icken egg.”

“Oh! No, they have a distinct taste, but it's still good.”

Dib tried again, and now that he was prepared for the alien taste of it, decided he liked it. “Okay, yeah, that is good.”

They ended up stirring the egg in with the noodles and then tried those. Soft and delicious. They were mostly quiet as they enjoyed the meal, other than to comment on the various flavors of the exotic food. They especially liked the fruit that had come with the soup, comparing them to different fruits native to Irk, though some were simply so unique they couldn't be compared at all. They both made note of which were their favorites so they could make sure they bought more later.

Once they were done eating, they relaxed for a while, finishing their drinks and discussing the food, while also considering if they still had room for dessert. Dib was pretty full but Zim admitted he could go for some more. So they ordered the dough balls. Six were brought to them, dusted in sugar and with a bottle of honey.

“Oh, so they have honey here too,” Dib commented.

“Yes, though the insects that make it have to harvest much smaller flowers than the ones on Irk. It's quite impressive how much they produce nonetheless, though.” Zim took a bite of one of the treats and smiled at the flaky texture and how it practically fell apart in his mouth. “Ohh these are good, Dib try one.”

“I told you, I'm full,” Dib replied, clutching his stomach as it ached just at the thought of eating more.

“Come on, just one.”

Dib relented and picked one of the dough balls up along with the bottle of honey. He spread honey across the top and then tossed the full thing in his mouth. It was as sweet as it looked and while it was deep fried, the thin crispiness on the outside made way to total softness as he chewed. “Okay, that is good. We're gonna have to make these too once we have our own place.”

Zim snickered. “Something tells me we're both going to be very into cooking for a while. There are many delicious Venesian dishes to try and this planet is quite the cultural melting pot. We can try Vortian meals too. Meekrob cuisine. Hm... maybe even Planet Jacker food!”

“Planet Jacker?”

“You haven't heard of them? Oh, it is so unfortunate what's going on with their planet. Its star is dying and they're trying to keep it going by tossing entire planets into it as fuel.”

Dib stared. “That's awful!”

“Isn't it? Luckily they have a treaty with Irk that they won't steal any planets in our empire or that have been marked for conquest. Venesia is also safe from them. In fact I believe there are Venesian astronomers that sometimes give them tips on uninhabited planets they can use for their project. But I think they're just fighting a losing battle. They need to give up on their planet but they're a very proud people with a lot of history there that they don't want to lose. Still, some Planet Jackers have already given up and just left. I don't think they're looked on too kindly by those who stayed behind. If you see any here, please be nice to them.”

“I will.”

Though he wasn't hungry, Dib ended up having two of the dough balls while Zim ate the other four. They finished their drinks and alerted their server that they were done. He asked for their food vouchers and Zim and Dib each gave him one. He thanked them for their patronage and wished them luck with their applications, then bid them goodbye.

Dib stumbled a bit once he got up and Zim cast him a concerned look. “I'm okay, just lost my footing there for a second.”

Zim took his hand as they walked out and Dib swayed a bit the entire way. Zim stopped them once they were outside. “Are you feeling alright?”

“I'm fine, just a little. A little... tired.”

“Do you feel dizzy? Lightheaded?”

“I guess? It's okay though, I can deal with it.”

“Heh.” Zim chuckled as he realized what was going on. “Just as I expected. You're drunk.”

“What? Drunk? Come on, I just had the one drink.”

“Yes but you've never drank before. It was a large glass. And Purple Bombs are notoriously strong.”

“Huh. So this is what being drunk feels like?” Dib held his hands out to look at them as he took a few more steps. “Hmm not sure how I feel about this.”

“That's alright. It's very weird at first and if you decide you don't like it, that's understandable. Come on, let's get back to our hotel.” Rather than take Dib's hand, Zim instead slipped an arm around his middle to support him as they walked back to the hotel. He could tell Dib was more buzzed than anything but it was clear the other had no experience with feeling this way. He kept swaying, occasionally laughing at nothing in particular, and his words slurred a little when he talked. He also seemed to talk faster, which Zim found cute.

They got back to their room with no problems and Dib immediately collapsed onto one of the beds, stretching out and looking up at the ceiling before wincing and closing his eyes, rubbing his temples. “I don't feel good.”

Zim hopped up next to him, rubbing his shoulder. “You want water?”

“No, it's okay, I just... need to sit still for a bit.”

“Well, it is getting late. Let's just go ahead and go to bed. You can sleep this off and we can get some rest before going back to the bureau tomorrow.”

“Yeah, yeah that sounds good.” Dib opened his eyes and looked Zim over before smiling and giggling. “You're really pretty.”

“Thank you, I know.”

“So pretty, first time I saw you I thought about how pretty you were in person, and I still think that. Come here.” He held his arms up and Zim laid down in them, smiling as Dib snuggled with him. “So glad we got to meet each other... you're such a good friend, and the best mate I could have...” He pressed little kisses to Zim's cheeks, antennae feeling along the top of his head, and Zim wrapped his own delicately around them. “Love you so much...”

“Aw, you're a sappy drunk,” Zim commented. He got comfortable laying on the other, yawning and letting himself relax. “I love you too.”

“Can't wait to start a new life with you... getting ourselves a house, having our smeets...” Dib's hand drifted against Zim's belly. “We're gonna have a family. After all those eggs you had to give up... we can keep these ones.”

“Yes. It's wonderful.”

Dib moved his hand away from Zim's stomach and instead took his wrist, raising it up. Even now there were scars from the restraints he had to wear for every single laying. Restraints that he had fought against until he bled on multiple occasions. Dib pressed a gentle kiss over the scars. “No more of this. You'll never have to see your eggs being taken again. They'll be ours.”

“I hope the rest of our smeets are doing okay,” Zim said quietly. “I'll probably never be able to know who any of them are, but I wish the best for them anyway.”

“Me too. The smeeteries probably do keep track of all that, though. Maybe you can find out.”

“How? I doubt they'll just give it up if I ask and it's certainly not on any public servers...”

“Just hack them.”

Zim laughed at that. “It's not that easy.”

“Yeah but you're you! You're super smart, I bet you can hack into the system anyway.”

“And do what with the information? I can't go back to Irk to meet any of them. They'll have no connection to me. No, it's... it's best that I not. They'll be taken care of. For now, I want to focus on these smeets.”

“Alright. Mm.” Dib's eyes fell shut and Zim could tell he was dozing off. “I hope the other Reproducers are doing alright...”

“Me too.” Zim thought about Babs and frowned. Was she okay? If the rooms were bugged as Kilo had said, that means they had to know Babs was in on the plan. Did anything happen to her after he left? He really hoped not. He would have to look up news about his escape as soon as possible.

“I think I'm gonna go to sleep, I'm really tired,” Dib said with a wide yawn.

“That's fine. Get some sleep.” Zim watched as he drifted off and soon fell asleep completely. Zim stayed awake for a while longer, thinking about his mother and wishing it was safe to call her, before finally closing his eyes and resting his head under Dib's chin, drifting off to the pleasant sound of his mate's breathing.


	17. Pleasant Morning

When Zim woke up the next morning, he was briefly confused about where he was, as the previous few times he had slept were in the taxi and this time he was in a bed. But then he picked up on Dib’s scent and smiled, cuddling up closer to his mate as he remembered. They weren’t in the taxi. They were on the moon Sen, orbiting Venesia. They were in a hotel and soon they would be receiving news on whether their applications to live on Venesia were accepted. Part of him was worried but he had hope that they would be allowed to live on the planet. Sure, there was a lot of chaos and destruction in his past, but he wasn’t that person anymore. He wanted to start over here.

Zim checked on Dib. The other was sleeping soundly, curled up against him and looking peaceful. Zim stroked his back and looked toward the window. It was still dark out. Sen orbited Venesia while also having its own rotation that sent it through a several hour long night. Despite this, offices set up on the moon followed Venesia’s clock, so Zim looked over to check the room’s alarm clock. It informed him that it was a little after 4 AM. So there was still plenty of time until noon.

Zim nestled his face into Dib’s throat and slowly inhaled his scent. He smelled so nice. Familiar and safe. Just being close to him like this made Zim want to purr with happiness.

He wasn’t tired anymore but he also didn’t want to do anything that would wake Dib up. So he just let himself become lost in thought for a while. He reflected on various moments from his past that led to his reassignment. He thought about his first meeting with Dib. And he thought about everything that had pushed him into making that escape. It had been a huge risk but it was thrilling and he didn’t regret it. He finally had what he’s wanted this whole time.

Zim eventually took his tablet out of his PAK, carefully moving it behind Dib’s head and turning it on there so the glow of the screen wouldn’t bother him. Luckily, Dib kept sleeping, and Zim was able to look over him to watch what he was doing with his tablet.

The hotel had Internet and Zim connected to it. Once his connection was secure, he accessed an irken news site. It took a while to load due to the distance between Venesia and Irk, but finally the site was accessed and he could scroll through it. Just as he expected, news of his escape was at the top of the page. Despite how aware he was of his infamy in the Irken Empire, the headline still made him frown slightly. _Disgraced ex-soldier and defect Zim escapes from breeding facility._

He browsed the article. It described his escape with Dib, who was also described as a defect. The article explained why he had been reassigned from the military to Reproducer work and condemned his decision to leave. The author apparently felt that the job was a way for him to redeem himself and he couldn’t even manage that, abandoning the duty after only a year and manipulating a perfectly normal, dedicated Reproducer into leaving with him.

He scowled at this interpretation. Dib wasn’t manipulated. Dib understood Zim’s perspective and chose to leave with him. Zim would have stayed if Dib didn’t want to go.

Zim read further. It looked like business was going on as usual in the facility. No one who worked there had been hurt. The damage to the window he broke through was being repaired and the rest of the Reproducers had assured Kilo that they were devoted to their jobs and would never try to leave like those defects had. Zim read through Kilo's comments about what happened.

“ _I suspected from the start that he might try to make a run for it. Me and my second in command both knew his capabilities but I had hoped he settled down anyway for once in his life. For a while, I thought he had. He was very calm with his assigned mate. He sometimes expressed disapproval of the way we ran things but still did his job well and didn't cause any problems. I'll admit, he lured us into a false sense of security. But then he decided he wanted to leave. He got his sire in on it. And within a week they had pulled it off. I regret not taking action sooner. But rest assured, we are taking measures to ensure this does not happen again.”_

The author noted that Kilo had been 'noticeably irate' during the interview, which Zim took great pleasure in learning. The article also had some comments from different Reproducers, many of which condemned the escape, though a few had offered cautious but sympathetic statements that they understood where the urge to escape came from. But they would of course never actually do it.

Zim’s heart leaped when he saw that Babs was among the interviewed. There was no video footage but her statements had been written down. She expressed sadness about the event.

“ _Zim was like no one else I ever knew. He was wonderful, strange but so loyal to Irk. He really did want to give back to his empire. But he fell hard for his sire like so many do and in the end, nothing could stop him from being with the one he loved. I wish he hadn’t left. But I also hope he’s happy now.”_

Zim was surprised to see such an opinion expressed in this article. He could definitely see Babs saying that but for it to be included here was unexpected. But as he read further, he understood. Even through writing he could tell the author was amused and derisive toward those comments. _Our Reproducers are too kind to each other. Zim doesn’t deserve to be happy and he likely isn’t. Officials have reported that he made it to the Venesian solar system but the chance he is granted refuge there is low. Zim and his mate will likely both be rejected and forced to fend for themselves in an uncaring universe. If they leave that solar system, they can expect swift punishment from Irk for their treason._

Zim snorted at that. He liked to think he and Dib had a very good shot at getting accepted. But if they weren’t… he didn’t like to think about that possibility.

The article continued for a while longer, talking about increased security around the facility and then comments about the situation from the Almighty Tallest themselves.

The two were angry but not surprised, apparently.

“ _Zim says he’s loyal but has never followed orders like he should,” Almighty Tallest Red was reported saying. “The minute orders from his superiors go against his own desires, his desires win out every time. He always tries to justify his actions. Tries to say he was only doing what was best for the empire. But he wasn’t. He’s defective and dangerous and I hope he never leaves that refugee planet. For his own good.”_

Purple’s comments were much more aggressive. “ _Zim destroys whatever he touches and I won’t be surprised if he ruins Venesia too and gets executed. Or exiled, and if he comes back to irken space, we’ll execute him ourselves. He’s so clearly defective we don’t even need to give him an irken existence evaluation. You can see it in everything he does. He’s a freak._

It hurt seeing how the Tallest felt about him, but then, Zim has always kinda suspected it. He had just pushed those feelings aside in the past. Focused on proving himself to them anyway. They had to see his worth. His strength.

But no. He had to face the truth. They hated him and never wanted him to come back, and if he did, they would kill him.

The Tallest had apparently gone on to say they weren’t interested in further action to capture Zim or Dib nor did they want to attempt to ask Venesia to return them. If this really did keep the two away forever, especially Zim, then fine. They were glad to be rid of him. And at least the hundreds of smeets he has produced for the empire up until this point could do some good. None of them have been reported causing problems beyond normal smeet shenanigans. And considering Zim caused a planet-wide blackout within moments of leaving his egg, they were already off to a better start than their dam. But they would all nonetheless be monitored closely for any signs of defective behavior.

The article ended on that note and Zim sighed, flicking the screen to close the Internet browser and return him to the tablet’s home page. A picture of Dib smiled back at him. It was one of the earliest photos Dib had ever sent him and it made Zim happy every time he saw it. But he soon returned the tablet to his PAK and instead took his communicator out.

He scrolled to Babs’s number and stared at it for a bit, hesitating. He wanted to make sure she was okay. But he also didn’t want to get her in trouble. She had said not to contact anyone at the facility for a few weeks or months. But… he just had to know.

He sent a text message, hoping it would be less noticeable. _Please make sure you’re in a safe place before answering this. I’m sorry to contact you so soon, but I had to make sure you’re okay. Have they done anything to you for talking to me about my escape? I’m worried about you, Mom._

He was nervous from the moment he hit send but there was nothing to do now but wait. The vast distance would cause some latency anyway but it felt like the wait stretched on for a little too long. But then, finally, a message came.

_Don’t worry about me, sweetie, I’m fine. They did ask me why I didn’t report you immediately but they understood when I said I found out you were my son. They know how strong maternal instincts are and figured I was too distracted by it to think to report you. I also said I assumed the rooms were monitored so the plan would be found out anyway. They left me alone since I’ve been on such good behavior for years now but they warned me if anyone ever talks to me about leaving I am to immediately tell Kilo. I said I would. But enough about me. Are you and Dib okay?_

Zim was glad she was alright and hadn’t been punished. _We’re okay. We got to Venesia and have applied to live here. We should be finding out whether we were accepted later today. I’m sure they’ll allow us. We’re runaway Reproducers, after all, and I’m currently gravid. I don’t think they’ll turn away expecting parents._

_Gravid already? You really didn’t wait to start a family with Dib. Haha_

Zim chuckled. _Yes, we may have been quite quick to celebrate our new freedom. We’re going to have two eggs. Once they’re laid we’re going to wait a while to have any others. Gotta learn how to raise these smeets before having more._

_That’s wonderful! Good luck. You’re going to be great parents. I think we should stop talking for now, though. I don’t think they’re monitoring our communicators but you are considered a traitor and exile now, and there are strict punishments for talking to exiles. I’m sorry._

_You’re right,_ Zim hastily wrote. _I’m sorry. I just wanted to check on you. I’ll go now. Thank you for being there for me, though. And I’ll tell you about the smeets once they hatch._

_You’re welcome, I’m glad I could help you. Can’t wait to hear about your smeets. Bye._

Zim didn’t send anything else after that, returning the communicator to his PAK and sighing. At least she was safe. He hoped they didn’t find out about him talking to her. There was only so much her prior good behavior would let her get away with.

He shifted around to get comfortable again against Dib, who had slept soundly through everything. Zim began stroking his antennae, wondering how he was such a heavy sleeper. It must be due to his peaceful lifestyle. Zim, on the other hand, slept lightly even now and the smallest creaks could cause him to jump up, prepared for an attack.

He wasn’t tired anymore but he kept laying with Dib anyway, sure that getting up would wake him. It soon became quite boring to him though and by 5 AM he was too restless to keep laying there. So he carefully got out from under Dib’s arm, and moved the leg that had draped over him. He crawled away and grabbed one of the pillows, pushing that against Dib’s chest instead. He wrapped himself around it just like he had held Zim, and Zim smiled at how cute that was before getting out of bed and going to the window.

He could just barely start to see light peeking over the horizon as Sen moved out of Venesia’s shadow to greet the Sun.

He spent some time watching the cars and pedestrians below, heading to the different offices in the area, some grabbing early breakfasts. Things never really slowed down here.

He sank into the armchair and got his tablet back out, browsing various irken sites he enjoyed, but so many of them were talking about him and he quickly grew tired of the negativity. He decided to play a game instead, making sure the tablet was silent so he wouldn’t bother Dib.

This kept him occupied for a while. He was still playing it when Dib started to wake up. Zim caught the sound of him moving around and looked up to see him stretching and then nuzzling his face into the pillow he was holding. Then he opened his eyes and blinked at the pillow in confusion. “Hm? Zim?”

“I’m over here,” Zim said.

Dib looked over at him and then yawned, rubbing sleep out of his eyes. “Oh. Good morning.”

“Good morning.” Zim saved the game and closed it, putting his tablet aside and then going over to join Dib. “Sleep well?”

“Oh yeah, great. Nice finally being in a bed instead of that taxi seat.” He looked Zim over and smiled, reaching up to run a hand under his shirt. “You look bigger than you were last night.”

“I’m only a few days from laying our eggs,” Zim replied. “The shells have likely hardened now. Which does always make me a little rounder.”

“Mm, that’s pretty hot.”

“Is it?” Zim asked playfully.

“Oh yeah.” Dib laid on his back and guided Zim onto his hips, feeling along his thighs. They both had pants on but the touch made Zim shiver anyway. “You look so good carrying my eggs.”

“It feels good carrying them. I can’t wait for you to help me lay them.”

“Me neither.” Dib’s hands went to Zim’s waistband, and understanding, Zim quickly raised up on his knees and slipped his pants down and off, tossing them aside. Dib took his shirt off and only pulled his pants down enough to let himself out, and Zim licked his lips as his length stretched up, already glistening.

“Always so eager to mate with me,” Zim remarked, sitting on Dib’s thighs and taking his cock in hand.

Dib moaned and lifted his hips slightly. “Can you blame me?” he said quietly, his caramel eyes already half-lidded and dark with desire. “You’re perfect.”

Zim purred. “So flirty this morning, Dib-love. Are you still drunk?”

Dib laughed, though it quickly became a pleased gasp when Zim slid his palm up and down his shaft. He struggled for a moment to speak before saying, “No, I don’t think so. I do feel a little sick though. Just a little.”

“You should have more water,” Zim replied. “But I think that can wait, hm?”

“Oh yeah, definitely.”

Zim decided to try something new. He never could do this sort of thing with Dib back at the facility, and in the taxi it hadn’t really occurred to him. But now he wanted to give this a try. He scooted back and leaned down. “Tell me if you don’t like this.”

“Hm? What are… oh!” Dib’s back arched as Zim’s tongue slid around him. Electricity raced up his spine and he closed his eyes, moaning loudly.

Zim smirked at the reaction and licked up Dib’s shaft from the base all the way to the tip, swirling his tongue around it as he did.

“Ah, Zim, mm…” Dib squirmed a bit and Zim calmly just moved a hand to his chest, keeping him pinned on his back.

“Let me take care of you,” Zim said.

“Y-yeah, alright…”

“Play with my antennae.”

“Of course.” Dib’s hands went to the bases of Zim’s antennae, rubbing gently. The slow circles against those sensitive spots made Zim sigh with pleasure, thighs trembling as he quickly grew wet.

Zim moved so he could get one of Dib’s legs between his own, mildly disappointed that the other hadn’t completely taken off his pants, but this would do. The material was soft enough. Zim went down on Dib, carefully at first while he figured out what the other liked, and then gaining confidence as Dib moaned and praised him.

Dib was so, so sweet against Zim’s tongue and it wasn’t long before Zim had guided the other’s tip into his mouth. It slid in easily and he suckled on it, feeling precum slide down his throat. He quickly grew fond of the taste and sensation, working Dib’s length further into his mouth and now beginning to hump Dib’s leg as the other’s pheromones filled the room. Zim could smell how turned on Dib was and it only aroused him more.

“So good, that’s so good, mm…” Dib groaned over him, beginning to rock slightly into Zim’s mouth. Zim allowed him, even scooping his hands under Dib’s hips to pull him into the motions, wanting to feel him deeper. Zim probably had nearly half of him in his mouth now and his tongue was taking care of the rest, gliding up and down, wrenching the most pleasant purrs and whimpers from his partner.

Zim pulled off Dib for a moment to work his jaw and wet his lips, taking a few deep breaths, then got back to it. This was very new to him but they were both enjoying it and he wanted to keep going.

As he took Dib into his mouth and felt his tip curve and go down his throat, the sensation was so raunchy and good that he let his own cock out of its sheath, grinding harder against Dib’s leg. Dib massaged his antennae more firmly and the pleasure intensified until Zim would have chirped had his mouth not been full. As it was, he groaned low in his throat and could hear Dib chirp softly instead.

Then Dib breathlessly said, “You look so good right now, love. You’re so talented, taking me like that. A-ah, I’m close…”

Close already? Zim gave his backside a teasing wiggle, his insides throbbing slightly at the thought of Dib being close to his edge already. All because of Zim. It was so hot he couldn’t decide if he wanted to get Dib off like this or just switch to riding him so he could feel his release inside him.

But then, he’s already felt that so many times before… he was in the mood for something new and naughty right now. So he kept Dib in his mouth, steadily working further down his shaft, determined to take all of him.

He could tell his rhythm wasn’t as graceful as it could have been but Dib wasn’t complaining, eagerly following Zim’s motions.

“That’s it, so good,” Dib encouraged, hips moving harder now. “Just a little more, I’m right there…”

Zim felt his fingers falter and could tell he was growing overwhelmed. Zim took a breath and took Dib all the way to the base. The motion nearly made him choke but he managed to hold it in, keeping his throat relaxed and just savoring how it felt having all of his mate in him like this. He tasted incredible and the discomfort of being unable to breathe like this was easily ignored when Zim heard Dib cry out over him, hips bucking and cock flexing to rub itself all along the inside of his throat. A moment later, he was finishing.

Though Zim had been expecting it, he wasn’t quite prepared for how strange it felt having the other come down his throat like that. It was so dirty and thrilling that Zim moaned, heat pulsing between his legs as pleasure overtook his own body, but he wasn’t quite to his own climax yet. He swallowed Dib’s seed, withdrawing and feeling another load hit his tongue before he could get Dib fully out of his mouth. It was sweet yet the flavor was mixed with a sort of salty musk that Zim has only sparingly tasted before while cleaning himself and Dib up in the past. But those incidental tastes of cum were nothing like getting an entire mouthful of it and he quickly decided that he liked it. He managed to swallow that too and coughed, lifting his head to check on Dib.

Dib was laying back with his eyes closed, panting and looking quite satisfied. He dropped his hands down to Zim’s shoulders and opened his eyes, checking him out. “Damn… that was good. You’re amazing.”

Zim smiled. “Thank you. I thought I’d try something different.”

“That was very different. I loved it.” Dib looked further down Zim’s body, tilting his head as he saw the precum dripping from the other’s tip and the fluids that were steadily leaking out of him. “Did you come yet?”

“Not yet. Think you could help me out with that?”

“Mm… yeah, I think I can.” There was a mischievous twinkle in the other’s eye and Dib slid a hand under Zim’s rear, lifting him up. Zim expected him to move him forward onto his cock but got a pleasant surprise when he brought him all the way up to his face, having him rest his weight against him while he kissed between his legs.

“Oh, that’s new,” Zim murmured, balancing on his knees so he didn’t put too much pressure on Dib’s face.

“Mhm…” Dib slid his tongue along Zim’s entrance and curled it ever so slightly around his base, making him tremble and chirp. “You using your tongue like that… gave me some ideas…”

“Please share,” Zim replied.

Dib held his waist with both hands and pulled him down, tongue gliding easily up inside him. It was similar to his cock yet different enough that Zim cried out at the new sensation. He squeezed around it, feeling it rub along his walls, going in and out smoothly, touching and tasting him wherever it could…

“Aah, Dib… mm, more…” Zim rested a hand on the bed over Dib’s head for support, rocking against his face. His other hand went to play with one of Dib’s antennae, wanting to reward him for how good he was making him feel. The tongue inside him gave a little twirl that made him grunt, his muscles starting to clench around it.

Dib moved a hand down from Zim’s waist and wrapped his fingers around his length, smoothly stroking up and down to the thrusting motion of his tongue. The pleasure intensified and Zim was soon coming with an ecstatic shout, back arching at just how powerful the orgasm was.

It left him breathless and feeling shaky as the pleasure faded, his body twitching from overstimulation as Dib pulled his tongue out and gave him a final kiss before moving him down onto his chest.

“You alright?” Dib asked.

“Y-yeah.” Zim was panting but feeling good. He saw light pink liquid trickling down from Dib’s lips and moved a finger to wipe it off, then leaned down and kissed him, pressing their antennae together.

Dib kissed back, his own antennae winding around Zim’s. They stayed like that for a while, enjoying the quiet bliss. Though a few days have passed since their escape, they still kept expecting to feel the buzz of those pagers on their wrists telling them to separate and move along, but of course, it never came.

They were free to just lay here together as long as they wanted and it was perfect.

“I love that we can do things like this now,” Dib commented after a while.

“Hm?” Zim asked.

“You know, different ways of having sex. Instead of just, me mating you with the intention to produce eggs. We can do other stuff. Like that. Oral. That was a lot of fun.”

“Yeah, it was. We definitely need to experiment more. That was great. And if we practice, we’ll become even better at it.”

“For sure.” Dib sighed, stroking Zim’s back. Then he said, “We should probably take a shower, neither of us have done that since leaving Irk.”

“Ah, that’s true.” Zim has begun to feel a bit grimy but he was too focused on other things to think about it. Now, however, he really did want to clean off. “We can shower and then we need to get our clothes washed as well. Was there a washing machine in here?”

“I didn’t see one but I’m sure the hotel can do laundry for us.”

“I hope so. We want to be presentable when we go back to the bureau. Especially if we have to have that interview they mentioned.”

“Oh yeah, definitely.”

They discarded the rest of their clothes and checked to see if they had anything that was clean enough, but they had already worn everything they brought at least once. So they decided that all of their clothes would need to be washed.

While Zim laid the clothes out, Dib searched the room and found a laundry bag with instructions written on it in Venesian. He squinted at it, waiting for his PAK to translate what he was reading, only for Zim to come over and take the bag from him, reading it for him.

“For complimentary laundry, fill bag and leave outside door for housekeeping to pick up,” Zim said. “Clothes will be returned to you in bag within a few hours.”

“Cool, let’s do that then,” Dib said.

They filled the bag up with the clothes and left it outside as directed, then went to take their shower.

It was pleasant washing away the sweat and dirt of the trip, but what was even better was being able to shower together. They argued over water temperature for a bit, as Dib liked it hotter than Zim. But they were able to find a happy medium. Zim appreciated having Dib here to wash the hard to reach areas of his back while he was able to do the same for Dib in turn. They took a few moments to examine the bottles of shampoo and conditioner in confusion before realizing they were for creatures with feathers or hair.

“Might be good for grooming antennae with, though,” Dib mused.

Zim opened the shampoo bottle to sniff. “Eh. Smells weird. I think I’ll wait to make sure we get irken safe products for our antennae.”

“Fair enough.”

They messed around a bit in the shower, which was another new and thrilling experience for them. Zim found it very sexy having his front pinned up against the smooth, tiled wall while Dib took him from behind, his mate's arms around him and cradling his belly the whole time.

Once they were done, they cleaned each other off again and turned the shower off, stepping out. Zim's knees were a little weak so Dib helped him over the ledge of the tub.

They took their time drying off and grooming each other's antennae, then Dib donned a towel to quickly peek outside and see if their laundry had been taken yet. The bag was already gone and he went back into the room, letting Zim know.

“Good. Hopefully it doesn't take them long to wash them, those are our only clothes,” Zim replied.

Neither of them were particularly hungry after last night's dinner, so they finished off the last of the snacks they had brought from Irk while checking out some Venesian television programs. Zim found a setting to put on irken subtitles and then flipped through channels. There was news, musical performances, documentaries, cartoons; plenty of variety.

They found a sci-fi movie that was just beginning, and deciding it looked promising, settled in to watch it. As Zim snuggled up under Dib's arm, he thought to himself that this was how he wanted to spend every morning from now on.


	18. Meeting Another Refugee

The rest of the morning passed lazily. After a couple hours, there was a knock at the door and a voice calling, “Housekeeping!”

Zim elected to go get it, taking a blanket off the other bed and wrapping that around himself for modesty before opening the door.

A Venesian greeted him, holding the laundry bag along with both Zim and Dib’s clothes folded neatly on top of it. “Here’s your laundry. Do you need anything else? Towels? More coffee?”

Zim glanced back at Dib, who shook his head. Zim looked at the housekeeper, accepting the clothes. “No thank you, we’re good.”

“Okay! Call the front desk if you need anything later and I’ll come back.” The other bowed their head and Zim bowed his back, then they went on their way. Zim closed the door and returned to Dib, tossing the blanket off himself and then laying their clothes out on the bed.

“Ah, guess we gotta get dressed now,” Dib said.

“We don’t have to,” Zim replied. “Not until we go back to the refugee bureau anyway.”

“True.” Dib checked the time and then held out an arm, inviting Zim to lay back down with him. They spent the rest of their time until noon relaxing before deciding to dress and go check the status of their applications.

They put on the nicest clothes they had brought. Both put on pants and long-sleeved shirts. They checked each other over and made sure they looked good, though they soon began to think about their lack of shoes. They had gone so long not needing to wear them but now they wondered if it would be strange to keep going barefoot.

But then, the Venesians didn’t wear shoes, at least not casually. They wore little to no clothing. Clothes and shoes were only worn as protective equipment or, rarely, as uniforms for certain professions. Otherwise the species dressed up using accessories like jewelry, wristbands, scarves, and so on.

So it was unlikely Zim and Dib would face much judgment if they kept going barefoot for now.

Once they had reassured each other that it was fine, they packed up all their stuff into their backpack and headed out. The walk to the bureau was as quick and easy as it had been yesterday. They went to the check in computer and this time, Zim pressed the option for follow-up visits. There was an option after that for application status, which he chose. The screen told him and Dib to take a seat and wait to be called, so they did.

“It seems even busier now,” Dib commented as they headed to the waiting area.

Zim nodded. “Yes, there are many refugees that come through here. This is likely a more popular arrival time.”

There weren’t any seats available. Zim and Dib both checked the area thoroughly but all the chairs and couches were taken. Some by individual creatures and others by whole families.

So Zim resigned himself to just standing like some others were, leaning against a wall. Dib put an arm around him to offer some support, feeling bad that he had to stay standing despite how gravid he was, but he knew Zim wouldn’t want to appear weak by complaining.

They were only standing there for a few moments though when they saw someone gesturing to them from a nearby couch, trying to get their attention. Zim raised his antennae and cocked his head. The other person, who was irken, called, “Yeah, you, come here.”

Zim hesitated but didn’t sense any hostility from them. He looked at Dib for his opinion and Dib said, “Do you know that guy?”

“Never seen him in my life. Think I should go over?”

“Up to you.”

Zim considered, then walked over to the stranger with Dib right behind him. “Yes? Do I know you?”

The other shook his head. “No, you wouldn’t know me. But I can tell you’re carrying eggs. Here.” He stood and offered his seat.

“Are you sure?” Zim asked, surprised.

“Yeah, I’ve been here a while so they’ll probably call me soon so it’s no big deal.”

Zim looked over and saw that there was another person taking up the rest of the room on the couch, so there was only space for one person to sit. Zim glanced at Dib, not wanting to make him stand, but Dib simply sat down and pulled Zim onto his lap.

Well that took care of that problem.

“Thanks,” Zim said to the stranger.

“Don’t mention it.” He grew quiet and just stood there nearby, idling staring toward the desks where the bureau employees worked.

Zim looked up at Dib, who shrugged at him, apparently picking up on how awkward the silence felt. Zim looked at the stranger. “So what brings you here?”

“Same as any other irken. I wanted freedom.”

“Fair enough. But what about your story? Was there something specific that made you leave?”

“That’s personal.”

“Alright then. Sorry.” Zim changed tactics. “Well, thanks for giving us the seat. I’m Zim, by the way.”

“I know. The news back on Irk was always talking about you. None of it good.”

“Right. But that’s in the past now. I’ve become a better person and I want to be a good citizen of Venesia and raise a family with my mate, Dib.”

“They always said you would never be able to change. That you were defective,” the stranger said bluntly. He didn’t seem malicious, though. Just apathetic. He had gold eyes with a dull sort of tone to them. His face was covered in freckles, small scars, and what looked like faded burns. “But I wish you luck. It’d be great if you proved ‘em wrong. Yet more proof of the lies the empire fed us every single day to try and keep us under control.”

Zim could sense a lot of resentment in this person. He kept a calm tone but there was bitterness in his eyes. What has he gone through? He could only imagine. He found himself scanning the other’s clothes as he tried to guess what job he had on Irk. He wore brown leather boots with thick soles. Pants made of a durable jean material, though there were still tears in various places. And a plain black sweatshirt, also torn. The other’s hands were bare and his claws seemed short and cracked. A laborer from the look of things. He was between Zim and Dib in height and looked to have a solid build.

“The empire is very flawed,” Zim said. “I don’t know what you went through. But congrats on escaping.”

“Hmph. Didn’t have much choice. Was facing execution.”

Now that got Zim’s attention along with Dib’s. Zim debated himself on whether he should pry but he’s always been very curious. So he asked, “What happened?” The irken shot him a glare and he hastily said, “Personal. I get it. Never mind then.”

The other relaxed. “You really do seem different from what people said about you. I wish I could tell you the story. But it’s too painful. I’m already dreading having to talk about it in my application.”

“You can do this,” Zim said.

Dib agreed. “Yeah, I don’t know what happened, but just be honest with the Venesians. They want to help.”

“I know.”

The intercom announced, “Would Irken Clag please come to desk 5?”

The gold-eyed irken grunted and turned to go. “That’s me.” He walked away without a further word, revealing that he had a noticeable limp.

“Clag, huh…” Zim slipped his tablet out of his PAK. “I wonder who he was…”

“Are you going to look him up?” Dib asked.

“Mhm. If he was facing execution on Irk, there must be something about him in the news.” Zim ran a search for the name. It was a common enough name and he didn’t know the other’s PAK ID, but the results he got back were definitely for this particular Clag, as there were photos.

 _Capitol City Factory Drone Goes on Rampage_ was the first article he saw, which he clicked on.

“Damn, that sounds bad,” Dib said.

“Yes but let’s see the story,” Zim replied. He scrolled through the article. Though it wasn’t written to be very sympathetic toward Clag, what he saw made his gut twist. It seemed Clag had worked in a factory that manufactured parts for heavy-duty military equipment. Though not military members themselves, this association with Irk’s military led to the drones being held to very strict standards and often yelled at and disciplined as though they were soldiers. It was a high-stress environment.

But that was only part of what led to Clag being so angry and stressed, the article claimed. The author went on to say that Clag’s crimes were surely due to him being defective. Only a defect would try to burn down an entire factory and attempt to slaughter all of his superiors.

Clag had always been vocally against the long hours he had to work. There were few breaks and conditions were dangerous. There was hazardous noise and heavy lifting and workplace injuries were common. Clag had expressed concerns about different safety violations but he was always told that as long as regulations were followed, the job was perfectly safe. Anyone who got injured was clearly at fault. Still, Clag insisted on things being made safer and he also wanted to be paid more. He had a mate at home to think of. He didn’t want to be hurt and unable to provide for her, as she was gravid with their first children and then, once she laid the eggs, had to stay home to incubate them.

Clag’s supervision hadn’t been concerned with this. Clag’s dam wasn’t their responsibility and he wasn’t going to get any special treatment just because he decided to have smeets. The empire’s needs were a far higher priority. This also, according to the article, upset Clag.

Then, as Clag had feared, he became injured one day. A negligent safety officer had cleared one of the hover dollies for use even though it was long overdue for calibration. Clag had unknowingly used that particular dolly to move some parts between sections of the factory. He had hundreds of pounds piled inside it when the hover mechanism failed. As he was mid-stride, the dolly had fallen right onto one of his feet. Every single bone was broken and a good bit of his lower leg was fractured as well from the force of the impact.

It took several other employees to get the dolly moved and he was rushed to a medical center. He was taken care of there but his direct supervisor was insistent he get back to work quickly. Clag had insisted he be allowed the proper time to heal. He would return to work once he could. During his recovery time he was able to spend more time around his mate and his two eggs, which were days from hatching. This extra time with them made him even more desperate to have shorter hours and his supervisor had conceded that he was a very skilled employee and perhaps they could offer him a promotion if he came in to talk about it at the office. He had done so.

While he was out, tragedy struck. His home was robbed and his mate was killed, their eggs shattered. He had returned to a bloody crime scene already crowded with police and bystanders. There were no leads. Officials had basically shrugged and said they would do what they could to find out who did it but don’t expect a miracle. Clag was offered only condolences before the crowd cleared out. Distraught, he had asked for time off to make funeral arrangements and mourn. His company had declined, saying that his new job as a manager would already give him more time off than he had before and he could make use of it to get his affairs in order. Without the distraction of his mate and eggs, however, he was expected to devote himself more fully to his job during his duty hours and it was hinted that if he were willing to put in overtime, they may consider him for an even higher position.

That was when Clag had lost it. The lack of sympathy offered to him after the tragedy and the dismissive behavior of his supervisors drove him into a fury. He had attacked everyone in his chain of command he could get his hands on, killing a few of them and severely wounding the rest. He had set fire to the area of the factory he worked in. Several other factory drones described him as looking furious and unhinged. No one had been able to reason with him and he had finally fled the property after causing massive damage that would take weeks to repair. Police and military officials had closed in ready to capture him and he would have surely faced execution for his actions. He had instead managed to steal a police vehicle and escape the planet. It was only minutes later that the owner of the vehicle received notice of a self destruction. Assuming Clag to be dead, Irk had said good riddance and shifted focus to cleaning up the mess left behind.

“Wonder how he got here, then,” Zim said as he finished reading.

“Dunno,” Dib replied. “Maybe he found another ship to bring him here. But damn. Poor guy went through so much. Losing his mate like that, his eggs… I don’t blame him for losing it.”

“He didn’t look like he’d be capable of doing all that,” Zim mused, glancing toward the desk where Clag was sitting with a somber-looking Venesian official. It seemed Clag was already telling him his story. “But then, I suppose I don’t look like much of a threat either, eh? And look at what all I’ve done.”

“Yeah,” Dib chuckled. “Clag might not have thought himself capable of that stuff either. But he was pushed too far. Even the best people can snap. I feel so bad for him. He has no one left. He lost his family. If he had friends, odds are they wouldn’t want anything to do with him now.”

“You think we should talk to him?” Zim asked. “See if he’d like to hang out later on? It’d be good for him to make some new friends here.”

“Maybe we shouldn’t intrude. He’s probably dealing with a lot right now.”

“I guess so.” Zim sighed, leaning back against Dib. Even when the alien sitting next to them got called to a desk, Zim didn’t move over, liking how it felt to sit in Dib’s lap, the other’s warmth all around him.

They were both still waiting when Clag seemed to wrap up his visit and got up to go. Zim debated with himself before standing and jogging over to meet him before he got to the door. “Hey, since you came here alone… do you want to exchange numbers? You can call me if you ever need to talk to someone.”

“I’ll be fine,” Clag replied shortly, walking past him. Zim frowned and turned to go, but then he noticed the other stop with his hand on the door handle. After a few moments, Clag sighed and looked back at him. “Well, maybe it would be good to have at least one irken here I can talk to.” He walked back over and took his communicator out of his PAK, Zim doing the same, and they traded numbers. Once they were done, Clag said, “Why are you being so nice to me? You don’t even know me.”

“I don’t. But a while back, someone who didn’t know me was very welcoming when I found myself in a strange new place under… less than pleasant circumstances.” Zim thought back to when Babs first greeted him and smiled. “She helped me adjust to my new life and was always there if I needed to talk. Before I left Irk, I thanked her for what she had done. She told me to pay it forward. So I’m honoring that.” He lowered his voice. “I looked you up online earlier. I found out what happened. I’m so sorry.”

Clag’s neutral expression briefly broke into a pained one, his antennae lowering, but then he brushed his sleeve across his eyes and said in a strained tone, “It’s… in the past. I have to move on.”

“Don’t feel like you need to move on right away,” Zim said. “It all happened so recently. You should take your time to mourn. It’ll hurt but you’ll feel better sooner.”

“No one on Irk seemed to get that. They kept telling me to deal with my emotions in private and then get right back to work. There was no care for me as an individual. They just wanted me to keep on producing. Because that’s all we’re good for. Providing for the empire. I couldn’t take it anymore. And when they tried to tell me that I had more free time now to devote to the factory, insinuating that I was _better off_ without my Siza and our beautiful eggs… I saw red.” He was quiet for a bit, then said, “Well. You probably read what happened after that.”

“Yes. I don’t blame you for what you did.”

“I went too far. That fire… I know I hurt more people than just who I was after. The other factory workers shouldn’t have had to deal with that… but I was so angry, I didn’t think about it at the time, I just wanted to destroy everything that company had. I wanted to make them suffer like I did.” Clag took a deep breath. Though Zim could tell he was trying not to cry, there were still tears in his eyes. “I knew I had to get off Irk after that. I took a police cruiser. It got me far enough out that I was able to stop at a fueling station and hitchhike. I found someone willing to bring me here, and set the police vehicle to leave and self destruct, hoping Irk would assume I killed myself and not follow me. I guess it worked.”

Zim nodded. “Yes, the article I read said they assumed that and now are just working on repairing the factory.”

“Of course. I can be replaced. The people I killed can be replaced. The machine of Irk is gonna keep on going.” Clag stepped back toward the door once more. “I think I need some time alone now. But thank you for talking to me. And… I may call. Later.”

“Sounds good. Good luck.”

“Yeah. You too.” Clag left the building and Zim saw him head in the direction of the hotel at a quick pace.

Zim returned to his seat and filled Dib in on the discussion. Dib was surprised that Clag had opened up to Zim but was glad he did, saying it was probably good for him to talk about it. And he had Zim’s number now so he could talk to him again if he needed.

“I do hope he’s accepted to live on Venesia and is able to have a good life,” Dib said.

“Me too,” Zim replied. After a few more minutes, their names were called and they headed over to the designated desk.


	19. The Interview

When Zim and Dib reached the desk they were directed to, it turned out to again be Talson who was assisting them. She greeted them warmly and asked them to take their seats.

“I'm glad to see you back,” she said. “How was your stay at the hotel?”

“It was great,” Dib replied, Zim nodding. “Very comfortable.”

“Glad to hear it. Now then, I have the status of your applications here.” She turned one of her computer screens toward them. “Dib, yours has been fully approved and no further action is required. You may have your citizenship card printed at any time, which will allow you access to public services and healthcare as well as certifying that you are a citizen of Venesia rather than a visitor.” Dib beamed at that and she continued, “As for yours, Zim. As I mentioned yesterday, your history caused your application to be flagged for further review. The director would like to interview you before approving it. You may go alone or take Dib with you. He's free to talk now if you'd like, or you can wait until a more convenient time.”

Zim glanced at Dib, who said, “Up to you.”

Zim looked back at Talson and said, “We're already here, I might as well talk to the director now. And I would like to bring Dib.”

“Of course. Dib, would you like your citizenship card now or would you like to wait?”

“I'll wait until Zim gets approved,” Dib replied.

“I understand. In that case, Director Markele will be able to make cards for both of you in his office. Let me send him a message to clear you to go up.” She turned the monitor back toward herself and typed something out. After a few moments, she said, “He said you're free to come to his office. Take that elevator up to the second floor and then go left, you will see signs directing you to his office.”

“Thank you.” Zim got up and Dib followed his lead. “Is there anything we should know before talking to him?”

“Just be honest with him,” Talson answered. “He most likely wants to hear about some of your history from your perspective.”

“Got it. Alright, thank you.” Zim took Dib's hand as they headed over to the elevator she had pointed out.

Dib was nervous about the meeting but also excited about his application being accepted. “I'm going to be a citizen of Venesia! This is so cool, it's finally happening, I really hope this meeting goes smoothly so you'll be approved too.”

“I'm sure it will go well,” Zim replied. He didn't want to think about what he would do if it didn't. As they took the elevator up, he said, “Whenever we go into the director's office, make sure you bow your head to him. It's a sign of respect in this culture. Don't stop bowing until after he has bowed in return. And make sure you keep strong eye contact, Venesians value that as it allows them to more easily read each other's emotions. We want to be honest with him, both in our speech and our emotions.”

“Okay, got it. I really hope he's nice.”

“I'm sure this will be a pleasant, if serious, meeting.”

The elevator let them out on the second floor and they went left. They followed the signs but it was a short walk to reach the director's office, which had ornate wooden doors that were kept propped open. Dib hesitated slightly but Zim confidently walked into the office so Dib quickly followed him in. Directly across from the doors was a large desk, behind which sat a Venesian with the longest facial feathers they've seen so far, all of which immediately fanned forward in greeting.

Zim and Dib both bowed their heads and he inclined his in return, before standing and approaching them, holding his hand out. “Welcome. I am Director Markele.”

“I'm Zim,” Zim replied, shaking his hand.

“Dib,” Dib said once it was his turn to shake.

Markele nodded. “Pleased to meet you. Come, have a seat.” He picked up a laptop from his desk before leading the two over to a corner of the room, where a small sitting area was set up with comfortably plush chairs and a table. Zim and Dib sat down together and Markele took a spot across from them, setting his laptop on the table. “Here we are. I hope to make this rather brief.” He looked at his laptop, bringing up their applications. “As you likely already know, Dib, you have been approved to become a citizen of Venesia. Congratulations, we're delighted to have you.”

“Thanks,” Dib said.

“But I imagine you won't go without your mate, whose application was unfortunately marked as needing further review by me. Which is why we're here. Zim.” Markele turned his large, cerulean eyes onto Zim, who met them with a polite smile. “I keep up with news from many of the planets we have taken refugees from. Yours is a name I always had a passing familiarity with. You are quite infamous on Irk, wouldn't you say?”

“I am,” Zim replied. “I know there are many tragedies in my history. I regret the things I did in my past. I was reckless, but it wasn't out of malice. I just wanted to prove myself. I was willing to do anything to earn respect. But I always underestimated my own strength and never quite knew when to quit when an idea went wrong... and it cost me. Now my name is spoken of with fear and hatred. I know Irk will never again be my home.”

Markele gave a thoughtful hum. “I see. It is very unfortunate that you felt you had to resort to such destructive behaviors in order to gain respect. Had you been taller, I imagine things would have turned out different.”

It was something Zim still didn't like thinking about, but he didn't deny it. “I imagine so. Height is everything on Irk. Take two irkens with the exact same personality and capabilities, but different heights... I can guarantee you the shorter one will be treated as incompetent while the taller is seen as skilled. If I had been even a few inches taller, yes, the slight change in attitude toward me could have led me to being an entirely different person.”

“Indeed, but I suppose there's no point dwelling on what-ifs. I would simply like to discuss some of these incidents you caused.”

They spent the next several minutes discussing different events from Zim's past, Markele naming them and then just listening as Zim explained his side of things. He seemed understanding, especially as Zim didn't try to make excuses as he would have when he was younger. Zim was honest about his fault in the many disasters, admitting that he often knew he was doing something he shouldn't but he always came up with reasons for why he should go through with it anyway, only for things to go terribly wrong. He promised he was never going to do those sorts of things again. He has learned self control and tried his best to be considerate of others.

“What changed?” Markele asked. “You went for so long disregarding the lives of those around you, so focused on obtaining greatness you didn't care who you had to sacrifice. But then you were reassigned to be a Reproducer and were apparently a great worker who never caused problems. At least, not until you escaped. So what changed?”

“That reassignment changed my entire life,” Zim answered. “Even though I was moved around to different jobs after many of my incidents, I always remained military. I was a soldier. But then, after ruining Operation Impending Doom I, suddenly I was being stripped of my rank and sent into an entirely different career field. I was reprogrammed. That had never happened to me before and it made me realize that I needed to change. If I messed up again they could send me to an existence evaluation. Deep down I knew I was defective, and other people claimed it about me too, but if it was proven by the Control Brains, I would be killed. I couldn't let that happen. So I told myself to be better. But on top of that...” He smiled over at Dib, taking his hand. “I met Dib. As my sire, he was always so respectful and loving toward me. I never had anyone who treated me like that before. I didn't want to do anything that could risk me being taken from him.”

“Ah. So it was love,” Markele said. “Love is indeed very powerful. You didn't have anyone like him in your life before, but if you had, do you think things would have been different?”

“Hard to say for sure,” Zim admitted. “But I think... yes. I was able to talk to him when times were rough without him mocking me. We couldn't be together in person when not fertilizing my eggs, but I could still call him and just talk to him for hours. He kept me grounded. I probably would have been much different growing up if he was around. But I don't think it was just him that changed me.”

“Oh? Elaborate,” Markele said.

“When I was younger, there were other irkens my age who were friendly to me, at least at first,” Zim explained. “But I often treated that as weakness and took advantage of them. It was what I was raised to do! The kind were pushed aside, used as stepping stones by those with ambition, who had no problem stepping all over others to get to where they wanted to be. Those who were mean and pushed back also earned respect and the praise of our superiors. I forced myself not to care who I harmed in my duties. As long as I accomplished the mission, I did my job and was praised. So I didn't have any incentive to be nice. But when I was a Reproducer, I didn't have to drag anyone else down to rise up. Everyone around me was nice and supportive. And it was pleasant. As strange as it was at first, I grew to like that environment. So while Dib definitely helped change my outlook on life, I think all the dams I met did too. If I had an environment like that growing up, I think it would benefited me. Maybe I would have never done all those things that made me infamous, because I already had the attention I wanted.”

“A very insightful observation. It seems you respond very well to positive reinforcement. I wish you could have encountered more of that much, much sooner in your life.” Markele consulted something on his laptop for a while, typing some notes. Then he said, “This conversation with you has been enlightening. You are clearly no longer the person that these records from Irk describe. You have grown. So I really only have one thing left to ask you.” He looked back at Zim. “If you are approved to move to Venesia, will you promise to continue to better yourself?”

“I will,” Zim promised. Markele stared into his eyes for a good few moments, reading his emotions, sensing his sincerity and determination as he spoke.

Then Markele nodded and looked back at his laptop. “That's all I can ask of everyone who comes here. Your application is approved.” He changed the status of Zim's application and then smiled at him. “You are now officially a citizen of Venesia.”

Zim grinned and turned to hug Dib, who gave him a tight hug in return.

Markele waited as they exchanged nuzzles, and once they were done, finished up the application process with them. With them both approved, he was able to print out special laminated cards for them with their names, species, and unique ID numbers. He advised them to keep them on them at all times.

“I know irkens have PAKs that officials can identify you by, but we use these,” he said.

Once he set them up with everything they would need to move to the planet, he started arranging transportation that would take them there, as well as getting an appointment with an office on the surface that would help them find housing and show them where to go from there.

“Thanks for all your help,” Zim said as they wrapped everything up. The meeting had lasted nearly an hour despite Markele saying earlier that he hoped to keep things brief. But Markele didn't seem to mind, saying that he was always glad to assist newcomers.

“Why don't I escort you out?” he said.

“You don't need to, I'm sure you're busy,” Dib said.

“I'm always busy but I can spare some time to go down to the lobby with you.”

Markele accompanied them to the elevator and took it down with them, and walked with them to the front doors. Multiple employees called a good afternoon to him as he passed and he greeted them back. He seemed well-liked. He also greeted the various visitors in the bureau.

Once Zim and Dib had stepped outside, he headed back to the elevator. Turning to look at the street, they saw that a car was waiting to take them to the space station, where a shuttle would take them to the surface of Venesia.

They climbed into the car and chatted amicably with the driver along the way. She congratulated them on getting their applications approved and wished them luck with their new life, along with asking where they planned to live. They didn't know for sure yet so she offered her input on where most of the irkens she knew lived. Apparently the town with the mall Dib had found out about yesterday was popular.

The trip to the space station was quick and the shuttle they boarded was flown by a Sentinel. The flight was shared by a few other aliens, and introductions were exchanged as the ship lifted off and soared into the sky. They stayed seated during the initial takeoff, but once they reached escape velocity and left the moon's atmosphere, setting a course for Venesia, the passengers were allowed to roam around.

Dib was quick to hop up and go to a window to look at Venesia as it drew closer, letting out a sigh at how beautiful it was. Zim went to stand next to him, taking his hand.

“It's such a pretty planet,” Dib said. “And we're going to live there. I know I keep saying it, but I just can't believe it. We're going to live on a whole new planet.”

“It is pretty amazing,” Zim replied. “Thank you for leaving Irk with me. We're going to have a much better life here.”

“Yeah.” Dib turned to face Zim, lowering a hand to his stomach. “We are.”

Zim leaned up to kiss him, brushing their antennae together. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

It had been a long road that led them here but they would do it all again in a heartbeat. They couldn't wait to see what their new life had in store.


	20. A Day Long-Awaited

Life on Venesia took some getting used to. Even in the temperate town of Windfala where Zim and Dib had chosen to live, days were often a bit warmer than was comfortable for them. There was rain (Irk had no rain) that often came with loud thunderstorms. Days passed much more quickly and they had to learn a new calendar and Venesia’s specific timekeeping system.

But the community was very helpful and they adjusted well enough. They had plenty of time to get used to things. There was no pressure on either of them to get a job right away. The three-bedroom house they lived in was provided by the government. They each received a basic income that allowed them to get food and furnish their home. They planned to save up any extra funds and then one of them would get a job later to make sure they could live even more comfortably. They also transferred their irken monies and had it converted to Venesian dollars, which added a nice amount to their new bank accounts.

Zim was contacted by Clag about a day after moving into the house. Clag was curious about his status in the application process and was glad that Zim and Dib were both approved and already on the planet. He informed them that he was approved too and would be heading there soon. Zim suggested he move to Windfala. He said he’d consider it.

Mere hours later, he called again to say he was in fact going to choose Windfala. Zim and Dib promptly invited him to join them for dinner and to possibly just check out the neighborhood together.

Clag acted nonchalant but agreed. When he got to the planet, he was given a house not too far from Zim and Dib’s, and since he didn’t really have anything to move in since he had left Irk with only the clothes on his back, he was able to quickly go and meet the two to hang out.

Things were a little awkward at first. Zim was forthcoming about his difficult past while Clag barely wanted to talk about it. Zim talked about his military exploits but Clag was noticeably distressed at any mentions of violence. Dib mentioned his paranormal interests and Clag was just confused and dismissive. When Clag brought up his favorite sports team back on Irk, Zim and Dib were both clueless, as neither followed sports.

Luckily, they found common ground in talking about various injustices of Irk. They were glad to be able to talk openly with other irkens about the faults of irken society. It was very unfair and despite how much propaganda permeated their society, it was pretty widely known how awful things were among the Shorters. It was also widely known to keep your mouth shut about it. So getting to vent about it was cathartic to all three of them.

On a lighter note, Clag also bonded with Zim and Dib over video games and movies, revealing he was into many of the same genres as them. He was cautious about sharing interests at first but soon opened up to them when they expressed support. They soon learned that his personality was naturally reserved but he could get quite talkative when it came to things he was passionate about.

All in all, dinner with him went well and they spent the rest of the evening until sundown exploring the neighborhood and greeting their new neighbors. Most of the irkens were skittish around Zim but they seemed willing to give him a chance. Especially as they saw he was gravid and everyone had a soft spot for smeets.

They ended off the day at a local playground, where Clag stood soberly watching children play with their parents. He smiled a little as a rambunctious Vortian kid butted heads with a Venesian one twice their size. Then he saw a couple of tiny irken smeets, wobbly on their feet but still quick, chasing each other around the playground equipment and he had to excuse himself, saying it was fun but he wanted to go home and get some stuff taken care of.

Zim and Dib both saw that he had teared up but didn’t comment on it. They just said goodbye and let him go. Next time they saw him, they didn’t mention what happened, but made sure he knew they were always there for him if he wanted to talk. His voice was carefully neutral when he thanked them but they could tell he was grateful.

They spent the next few days settling in and getting ready for a few more appointments they would both need to attend. Both were going to see doctors for check-ups so Venesia could have current records on their health, as well as to receive vaccines for diseases native to the planet that their immune systems wouldn't be prepared for. Both would also speak to mental health counselors, as Venesia valued mental health just as much as physical, which was quite a change from Irk.

But all that was in the future. Zim's most pressing priority was his eggs, which were soon ready to be laid. He and Dib were both excited for it. After some discussion, they decided to go to the bedroom, where Zim laid out a towel on the bed before undressing and laying down.

“I was told ages ago by my doctor that eggs can be laid more easily from a squatting position,” Zim said. “But honestly, I’m just used to this.”

“Just do whatever’s most comfortable,” Dib said.

“This is quite alright. Well.” Zim took a breath. He was quite familiar now with how his body felt when it was time to lay and these eggs were definitely ready. “Let’s do this.”

Dib sat next to him, holding his hand as he closed his eyes and focused, clenching his muscles to move the first egg downward out of his body.

“Is there anything I can do to make this easier?” Dib asked.

“No, just wait,” Zim replied. It almost felt strange being on a normal bed, his arms and legs completely free rather than tied down. After a few moments though, he groaned and said, “Can you massage me? That’s what the doctor would usually do to help me relax.”

“Sure, massage you where?” Zim gave a pointed look toward his own crotch and Dib blushed as he realized. “Oh! Oh, okay.” He moved to kneel between Zim’s legs, checking him out. He just looked at him curiously for a few moments, as despite seeing pictures and videos in his training, he has never watched a laying in person. Then he moved a hand to gently cup between Zim’s legs, brushing his thumb against the top of his slit.

Zim bit his lip but a low moan escaped him anyway. It was so much different having his mate touch him than the doctor. He had to resist the urge to unsheathe himself into Dib’s hand.

Dib gently eased his folds open, letting out a whistle. “You feel really wet. Those eggs will have no problem coming out.”

“Keep touching me anyway,” Zim replied, voice hoarse. “Please. It helps.”

“No problem.” Dib massaged him gently, his thumb rubbing circles over the opening to his sheath which made him shudder, while his other two fingers dipped in and out of him, not going far enough to truly feel satisfying, just enough to tease. It definitely relaxed him though. He let himself moan louder and heard an intake of breath from his partner.

“You’re so beautiful,” Dib said, awed.

Zim purred, flicking his antennae toward Dib for a moment. He could smell that Dib was getting turned on. Zim was getting pretty heated too. This had none of the clinical feel of when he laid eggs before. This felt intimate and special.

“Aah, the first egg… I think is about to breach,” Zim informed him.

Dib looked back down, pulling his fingers away and seeing that the other was being stretched apart around the crown of an egg. It was a pleasant pastel green color and Dib wasn’t sure if he should help pull it out or just wait for Zim to finish laying it. But he got his answer when Zim bent over and took his hand, guiding it to the egg and having him support it as it left his body.

Dib met his eyes and smiled, and Zim smiled back despite the discomfort he seemed to be in, brushing their antennae together. Then Zim laid back down and Dib looked down in time to see the egg fully emerge and plop into his hand, warm and slick. Dib used the towel to wipe it off and then just held it, staring at it in amazement. He was actually holding an egg. And not just any egg. His and Zim’s egg. And there would be another one coming!

Tears stinging his eyes, he gently set the egg to the side where it would be safe and returned his attention to Zim. “One more,” he said.

Zim nodded, panting. “Yes, one more. No problem.”

Dib massaged him again through the process of laying the second, and as this egg started to breach, its shell a more saturated green than the other, Dib also happened to stroke just right along Zim’s sheath that he came, entire body shaking and insides squeezing, briefly halting the egg. But then he went limp and the egg glided right on out with a stream of lubricant.

“Oh wow, that was amazing, good job,” Dib praised as he cleaned the egg off.

“Yes, I’ve become quite experienced in egg laying,” Zim remarked, eyes half-lidded as he stared at the ceiling catching his breath. Dib cleaned between his legs and even though he just finished, he kinda wanted to have sex with him anyway. He could smell how turned on the other was and the intimacy of the situation had him more attracted to Dib than ever.

“You sure have.” Dib crawled over him, embracing him as he kissed him, running their antennae together. Zim felt a firmness dig against his leg as Dib’s groin pressed to him and he lifted his leg against it, giving a small rub.

Dib grunted and then gave Zim a sheepish smile when they made eye contact. “Sorry, that was just weirdly hot for some reason.”

“No need to apologize,” Zim replied. As much as he would have liked to address Dib’s arousal further, his maternal instincts soon kicked in and he found himself instead looking for his eggs. “Our eggs, where are…”

Dib climbed off him and gathered the two eggs up, bringing them over to Zim so he could see them. “Here.”

“Oh. Ohh, look at them.” Zim’s eyes filled with tears. They were right there, they weren’t being carted away, they were right within reach! He almost didn’t want to touch them, the pain of having all the previous ones taken while he was helpless to rescue them still fresh in his mind, but then Dib laid them into his arms. The texture of those warm shells against his skin immediately flooded him with emotion. He began to sob, laying down with them and holding them close, sheltering them against his chest. They were so small and plain but they were his and he never wanted to let them go.

Dib sat next to him, rubbing his back. “You alright?”

“Y-yes, I’m fine, just… they’re so beautiful, and we don’t have to let them go, they’re ours! I’ve wanted this for so long!”

“I know. I have too.” Dib stretched out in front of him and started to reach for the eggs, but Zim suddenly hissed at him and curled up further around them, antennae going straight forward and trembling. Dib froze. “Zim?”

After a few seconds, Zim shook himself and relaxed, looking embarrassed. “I’m sorry, I think that was an instinct, I… forgot for a moment who you were, I just wanted to protect the eggs from being taken. I’ll try to get over that.”

“It’s okay, I get it. In the old days even the sire could be a danger, so I don’t blame you. But I won’t hurt them. You can trust me.”

“I know I can.” Zim gazed at the eggs before moving them over to Dib, watching him closely as he leaned them against his chest and draped an arm around them for warmth. “You’re going to be such a good father.”

Dib smiled, tears starting to stream down his own face as it really sank in that these were their smeets and in a few months, the eggs will hatch and they can begin raising their family. “I’ll do my best. I don’t know much about parenting.”

“We can learn. And there are irken parents here who can help us.”

“Definitely.”

They laid together with their eggs for a while, not really needing to talk, just resting curled up around them and holding each other’s hands. Eventually though, Dib admitted that he was still a little turned on from earlier and asked if that was weird.

“I don’t think so, I’m pretty sure lots of people enjoy watching their mates lay eggs or give birth,” Zim replied.

“Yeah, guess so. I did really like seeing how those eggs looked sliding out of you like that.” Dib glanced down then back up again, pink spreading across his cheeks, and Zim noted a subtle increase in pheromones. He’d be a liar if he said he wasn’t still horny too.

Zim arranged the pillows to make a small nest to put the eggs in, moving them safely out of the way. Then he returned his attention to Dib, gesturing for him to move closer. “Why don’t we do something about this, hm?” He gripped Dib’s waistband.

“Aren’t you tender after laying?” Dib asked.

“Yes, which is why I don’t plan on you going inside me.” Zim could see that Dib looked curious and chuckled. “Take your pants off. Actually, just get undressed.”

Dib wasted no time in doing so. As soon as he was bare, Zim saw his impressive length emerge from its sheath and he let his own out too, which was quite a relief after holding it in earlier. He gestured for Dib to climb over him and then pulled him into place so that their hips rutted together.

“Oh, mm, okay,” Dib whispered, figuring out what he was after. They’ve grinded before during foreplay but never gotten off like this, so both were eager to try something new.

They found a smooth rhythm rocking their bodies together, slipping their cocks around each other and rubbing up and down, over and over. It was a little rough but they both enjoyed it, and Dib soon leaned down to kiss Zim, who enthusiastically responded.

Though Zim kept one hand on Dib’s shoulder for support, the other trailed down his back, sliding across his muscles and enjoying how they flexed as he moved. Then Zim reached his backside, where he dipped his hand down and rubbed a couple fingers below Dib’s shaft, teasing his entrance.

Dib hadn’t expected the touch and trembled in response, moaning against Zim’s lips. Zim kept stroking there, beyond pleased at being able to explore Dib like this, do things with him that the breeding facility would never allow.

“Mm, that actually feels a little weird,” Dib murmured. “I like it.”

“Good. We really must switch things up soon. Let me try the sire position… let you be my dam.”

Dib’s hips moved a little harder and they both moaned. “Ohh that’d be fun. And hot. We definitely should.”

Zim kissed him as he pressed his fingers inside Dib, going as deep as he could and feeling his walls clench around him. Moments later Dib was coming, his muscles pulsing and a generous stream of cum leaving his tip and coating Zim’s stomach. Zim smirked and pulled his fingers out, reaching between them to gently unwind Dib’s length from his. Then he gripped himself, finishing himself off with a few long pumps while gazing at Dib’s pleasured expression.

Zim’s soft moan as he finished got Dib’s attention and he stared at him before smiling, snuggling close.

“I love you so much,” Dib said tiredly.

“I love you too.” Zim retrieved the towel to clean them both off with. Then he checked back on the eggs, which had remained tucked away in the pillows. He picked them up to bring them back over, he and Dib laying down with them again.

“We’re going to need to look into how to incubate these,” Dib said. “I mean, I’m not sure if I’d feel comfortable laying with them overnight, I don’t want to break them.”

“I don’t move much while sleeping, I’m not worried about breaking them,” Zim said. “Still, perhaps we could look into getting an incubator just in case. I’m mostly just thinking about what’s going to happen when they hatch. Typically, eggs from a Reproducer go to a smeetery where they’re incubated and then hatched early into a tank that continues to provide them with nutrients until they reach the normal hatching age. After that, they’re released from the tank and have a PAK immediately installed. But are PAKs available here?”

“Not sure,” Dib replied. “We both have our check-ups tomorrow though so maybe you can ask your doctor then.”

“Yeah, I’ll do that.” Zim gazed down at the eggs, trying to think about all the irkens he’s seen here. Even the young ones seemed to have PAKs. He didn’t remember seeing anyone without one. So maybe they were available. He couldn’t help but wonder how they were programmed.

After some time resting, Zim sent a text to Clag letting him know that the eggs were laid with no problems. Clag sent back, _Congrats. Do you have names in mind?_

Zim consulted Dib, who shrugged. Zim said, _Not yet. We have plenty of time though._

_Yeah most people wait a while. I had names picked for my two. Tiza and Liza. The eggs were very similar shades so we guessed they might be twins and wanted something cute._

_Those are very cute names._ Zim showed Dib the conversation and Dib agreed that the names were quite pretty.

“I wish his smeets had made it,” Dib said sadly.

“Me too. He would have been a good parent.”

After spending a while longer resting, Zim and Dib decided to get up and go shower. They brought the eggs to the bathroom so they would be nearby and left them carefully nestled in a towel in the sink, where they couldn’t roll anywhere. As soon as they were done showering and had gotten dressed, the eggs were scooped right back up into Zim’s arm.

“I think there’s clothes with pouches for eggs in them,” Dib said as they left the bathroom. “Like, on the inside.” He gestured to his front. “So the eggs can get as much body heat as possible.”

“We’ll definitely need to get some of those for both of us then. Might be more convenient than carrying them in our arms.”

They had lunch so Zim could get some energy back, then, with nothing else really to do, they decided to go visit Clag. He would definitely want to see the eggs.


	21. Shopping Trip

Clag had picked out a smaller house; his had only two bedrooms, but he said it was more than enough space for him. He had already furnished it quite thoroughly and it was a very cozy place, though he was still waiting to save up enough money to get himself a TV. He was also already looking into local jobs, stating that he wanted a return to normalcy.

He was happy for the visit though and his usually calm demeanor quickly broke at the sight of the eggs, his antennae perking and joy crossing his face. When Zim offered to let him hold them, he at first refused, saying that he didn't want to take newly laid eggs away from their parents. But Zim insisted and he accepted them, sinking onto his couch as he cradled them.

“Oh, they're so pretty,” Clag whispered. “They remind me of mine. My poor little ones... Liza and Tiza, I'm so sorry...”

“It wasn't your fault,” Dib said gently, touching his back.

“Maybe if I had refused to go talk to my boss that day, I would have been at home, I could have protected them...”

“Or you could have been killed too,” Zim said. Clag sniffed and shot him a look but didn't argue with the observation. “I'm sorry, but it's true. There's really no telling what could have happened. I know how easy it is to get caught up in what-ifs but it won't change anything. Take your time to think about what happened, mourn, but then you just have to accept it.”

“I know,” Clag said. “I know, it's just so hard... I can't get them out of my head.”

“That's fine,” Dib assured him. “That's just a testament of your love for them. You don't have to forget about them. But don't blame yourself for what happened to them either. They wouldn't want that.”

Clag nodded and abruptly gave the eggs back to Zim. Then he wiped his eyes off. “I know. I know, it's just.” He sighed, slumping back on the couch and giving both of them a lost look. “I never got to give them a funeral. I was starting the arrangements, but I didn't have much time with how much they kept me working at the factory even with the promotion, and then... the incident happened. Who knows what could have happened to... to their remains. They were at a morgue before. I'm sure they just got disposed of the normal way when I left. Cremated and... dumped who knows where.” He stared off into space. “I wish I could have said goodbye.”

Zim exchanged a sad look with Dib. Then Dib began to look contemplative, before saying, “Maybe we could still do something in their memory.”

Clag looked at him curiously. “Like what? I don't have anything to bury. I don't even have anything that belonged to my mate or anything we planned to give to the smeets...”

“I know, but we don't need that stuff. We can still have a ceremony. Something small, but we can still talk about them and give them a send off. It might help give you closure.” Dib squeezed Clag's shoulder. “Do you have any pictures of them?”

“I do on my communicator.”

“Maybe you could print them out. We could frame them and have them at the ceremony. You can still say your goodbyes.”

“Sounds like old spiritual nonsense,” Clag sighed, looking at the ceiling. But he took out his communicator, flipping to his photos and opening one of his mate holding their eggs. His expression softened. “But... it does sound nice.”

Zim and Dib sat on either side of him to continue comforting him, and though he couldn't bring himself to talk about his mate quite yet, he did decide on a date when they could have a ceremony. Three days from now should give him enough time to get some photos printed and make other arrangements. They soon changed subject, not wanting to distress Clag further.

They talked about how well the laying had gone and then about the upcoming medical appointments they all had. Clag advised Zim and Dib both to ask their doctors about smeet care to make sure they did everything right when it came to incubating their eggs. After that, the discussion moved on to jobs. Clag was looking to get into manufacturing, as that was what he had experience in. There was a facility not too far away that produced electronics and offered on the job training that he was interested in.

Zim had a mild itch to back into working as well. Being a Reproducer had gotten him used to a calmer lifestyle but he had enjoyed his days of hard work when he was in the military despite the stress that came with it. He was considering attending a university and getting a science degree so he could pursue a career in science. He was especially interested in chemistry.

Dib, however, stated that he would be happy as a stay at home parent. If Zim was going to be attending school and eventually working, Dib wanted to be home with the smeets. They would definitely keep him busy.

“You gonna have more?” Clag asked.

“Maybe one day, but for now we want to just have these ones,” Dib said, nodding to the eggs. “We want to get used to things before we start having more. Zim and I are both getting on birth control for now.”

“Good call. You're first time parents so you definitely don't wanna try to learn it with ten smeets running around.”

They began discussing smeet care. Clag recommended buying an incubator. He said that he and his mate would often sleep curled up around their eggs but if for whatever reason neither of them could devote attention to the eggs, they could put them in the incubator to keep them cozy. He said that they would be fine without body heat for a while but any sort of temperature extreme could kill them and letting them cool down could cause issues with development. Having them in contact with skin or in an incubator at all times was ideal.

Zim and Dib decided they would go ahead and get an incubator then, along with some clothes with egg pouches. After about another thirty minutes of discussion, they decided to take their leave, as Clag wanted to keep looking into that factory he wanted to work at. The day was young so they headed into town to do some shopping. Public transportation was great on Venesia as it turned out. There was a huge underground network of quick trains that spanned the globe. One could board a train that merely took them from their neighborhood into a nearby city, or could ride a train for hundreds of miles across the continent, passing through multiple districts until they got to where they wanted to go. They were paid for by taxes so no one had to pay anything further upon boarding a train. It was quite convenient.

One could even take a train to the other side of the planet but such a trip would require multiple stops to switch to a new train and it was usually preferred to take a plane for long trips like that, but it was nonetheless popular among Venesian youth to go on global train rides just to explore their planet completely and see new things.

Zim and Dib both were interested in such a trip too, but it would likely be a while before they did that.

They took a train from their neighborhood into the center of Windfala, which despite being a small town, had plenty of shopping and entertainment. It didn't take long to find a store carrying irken clothes and luxuries, so they went there for what they needed. Zim and Dib both bought multiple shirts with pockets inside for eggs, and they spent a few minutes discussing different incubators before settling on one that was in the medium price range. It also came in purple!

When they took their stuff up to the counter to pay, the irken working there expressed surprise at seeing Zim and Dib, as she had heard about their escape from Irk but hadn't known they would come to this town. But she was welcoming and as soon as she saw the incubator, she excitedly asked to see the eggs.

“Oh sure, here,” Zim said, cradling them in his hands and holding them up so she could see them. “Just laid them earlier today.”

“So cute! I love eggs, I wish I could have my own,” she said.

“Why can't you?” Dib asked without thinking and Zim quickly nudged him, having already figured out she was probably sterile and thus ex-military.

The cashier's antennae went down a bit but she kept a smile on her face as she said, “I was sterilized, back on Irk I did munitions work in the military and everyone with a military duty was kept sterile.” She began scanning their items.

“Yeah but Zim was military too and they made him fertile after he was reassigned to be a Reproducer,” Dib said.

“Yes but only the Control Brains can actually alter your PAK designation. When I left Irk, my designation was swapped from military to exile in all the records. My PAK itself, however, carries that old military designation because it was never directly given the command to switch. So it keeps me sterile. There's nothing any of the doctors here can do about it.”

“Oh.” Dib shifted his weight awkwardly. “I'm sorry. I didn't realize.”

“It's okay. Most people don't.” The cashier told them the price and Zim got out his debit card. It was strange using these instead of wiring money via his PAK but he was getting used to it. While he swiped the card, the other continued, “I might adopt one day. Dunno yet.”

“Yeah, that's a good option too,” Dib said.

Once the payment went through, they grabbed their bags and left, their cashier waving fondly to the eggs as they went.

“Man, everyone loves eggs,” Dib commented.

“Why wouldn't they? They're adorable,” Zim replied. They briefly swung by a bathroom so Zim could swap out his shirt for one of the new ones with pouches, wanting to keep his eggs close to his skin. Once the eggs were in place, they headed back outside and kept walking. There was so much of the town for them to explore.

They didn't return home until it was nearly night time, having eaten dinner while out. They held hands as they walked to one of the subway stations, watching as the sky dimmed and stars became visible, the moon Sen slowly moving into view. Dib still felt a small thrill every time he saw it, thinking about how only days earlier they were up there getting processed to live on Venesia. And now they were here.

Once they were back home, they put away the stuff they had bought and set up the incubator in their bedroom. It quickly grew warm once plugged in, a green light turning on to show them the temperature was just right for eggs. When they opened the small hatch on the front and tested the temperature for themselves, it was pleasantly warm.

“They'll be okay in there,” Dib said while Zim hesitated to actually place the eggs inside.

“I know. But...” Zim kept cradling the eggs against his chest, unsure.

“You don't have to, though. We can keep them out here with us.”

“Yes but I kinda want to go to bed, and I could keep them with me, but what if I roll? I don't want to hurt them.”

“The bed would probably cushion them if you did. But if you're worried, they'll be okay in there while we sleep.”

After several more moments of contemplation, Zim finally set the eggs on the soft cushion within the case and closed the door.

Dib rubbed his back. “We'll check on them as soon as we get up, okay?”

“Right. Okay.” Zim gave the case a few pats. “Goodnight, little ones.” He followed Dib over to the bed, the two of them undressing and pulling on pajamas before crawling in together.

They snuggled up, nuzzling and trading antennae kisses before settling into a comfortable embrace for the night.

“Maybe if we lay just like this at night, we can put our eggs between us here,” Zim said, nodding to the small gap between their pillows and just under their chins. “It'd probably be pretty safe for them.”

“Yeah, probably. If we wake up in the morning and we haven't moved too much from this spot, we'll know it's a good place.”

Zim nodded and then glanced over his shoulder toward the incubator one more time before closing his eyes. Dib instinctively checked on the eggs too, then kissed Zim's forehead. He heard the other purr and smiled, purring too. He knew there would be challenges ahead but he was looking forward to finally having a family with his mate. Life was good before but now that they had their eggs, it would only get better.


	22. Goodbyes and Greetings

Clag wanted to have the ceremony in his backyard.

He said that he saw it as a private matter and that he only wanted a few people involved. That being himself, Zim, and Dib. Even so, it was a nice little gathering.

A table was set up and decorated with various photos he had printed out and framed. The pictures went in mostly chronological order from left to right, starting with silly pictures he took with Siza when they were first courting, on to their life together as mates as they visited various popular tourist spots on Irk whenever they had free time, then there was a photo where she was gravid, and finally a couple of her proudly holding her eggs while leaning against her mate, who was grinning and happier than Zim and Dib have ever seen him in person.

At first, seeing all the pictures together made Clag wince and mutter, “I think this was a bad idea. It's still so hard thinking about... about what I lost.”

Dib rubbed his back. “It's natural to feel that way. If you don't want to do this right now, we don't have to.”

Clag straightened a bit and said, “No... no, I want to do this. I'm just... not sure where to go with this, I've never done this sort of ceremony before...”

“There's no one way to do it. Just whatever helps you get closure. You know, it looks like you two really did brighten each other's lives. I know how stressful your jobs must have been so it's nice that you were able to come home to each other.” Dib gestured to a picture of them snuggled up on a couch, Siza asleep against Clag's chest and him smiling fondly as he snapped a picture of both of them.

Clag smiled a little looking at it. “Yeah. It definitely gave me something to look forward to after work.” He picked up the picture frame. “She was really tired that day. Her boss was apparently working all of them really hard. But she got through it. She never gave up. She was sweet but so tough, too.”

“She sounds amazing.”

“She was.”

Zim had mostly been quietly observing, unsure of exactly what to say or do during such a somber occasion, but he did reach out to pick up the photo of Siza gravid. “Did you know right away how many you were going to have?” he asked.

“Oh yeah, pretty much as soon as she started showing she did a scan with her PAK, we knew it was going to be two really early on,” Clag replied.

“Were you scared? I mean, having two as first time parents... even I'm a little nervous about mine and I've been laying for a long time.”

“We were definitely nervous but we were relieved it wasn't some huge clutch of four or something. When we first talked about eggs, we said one or two would be nice to start with. Maybe even three. When we found out it was two, we were pretty happy.” Clag took the picture from Zim, running his fingers lightly over it. “She had this really strong brooding instinct too. She basically turned our bed into a nest, as soon as the eggs were laid she started guarding them and then would drag me in to lay with them too, wanting both of us to keep them warm. It was really cute.”

“That is pretty cute,” Dib said. “Zim was pretty defensive of his eggs after he laid them but that's not surprising, since for the past year he's had to deal with them all being taken from him.”

Clag nodded. “Yes, I always thought it was unfortunate for Reproducer dams that their eggs have to be taken like that. But I never realized how bad it must be until I had eggs of my own and though I didn't lay them, I loved them so much, I would do anything to protect them.” He sighed and carefully set the picture back down, tearing up. “They didn't deserve what happened to them. They were so close to hatching... the smeets inside were nearly fully developed. They must have been so scared, I can't even imagine the pain they went through...”

“I can't imagine what you must have gone through, coming home to that,” Dib said quietly. “I hope there's justice for them one day.”

“Even after what I did, I doubt the police would have looked any further into the case,” Clag said bitterly. “What happened to me happens all the time but as long as everyone else on Irk is doing their jobs, well, who cares about the occasional murder of some low ranking drones. We're replaceable.”

They stood together quietly for a bit, Clag staring at the photos and Zim and Dib both right next to him in case he needed comfort. Then he slumped down on to his knees, sighing and looking up at the sky. The other two knelt next to him to offer their arms but he waved them off.

“I'm fine,” he said. “Just give me a moment.”

They nodded and moved back a bit, but stayed sitting in the grass nearby, Zim carefully moving his eggs onto his lap and covering them with his hands to keep them warm.

Clag watched the sky as clouds serenely passed overhead. Then he lowered his gaze back to the table of photos, softly saying, “I'll always love you. My dear Siza... and our children that we never got to meet, Tiza and Liza... you were all taken way too soon. But I know you wouldn't want me to be sad. So I'm going to try to move on. I have a new life here, a better life. I wish you could be here with me. But at least I have these memories. So... so I'm going to just keep moving forward. I'll never forget you, though.” He leaned up to get the photo of him and Siza holding their eggs, cradling it close. “Goodbye, my loves. Goodbye.” Tears ran down his face and the other two stayed there with him, neither touching him, but staying nearby anyway.

Nearly a minute passed before Clag shakily stood back up, placing the photo on the table. He took a few deep breaths, wiping his eyes off, then turned to address Zim and Dib.

“I think this helped,” he said.

“I'm glad to hear that,” Dib replied.

“It still hurts, but... I think I can manage it. This was a good idea.”

“What do you want to do now?” Zim asked.

Clag glanced at the table and said, “I think... it'd be nice to just hang out for a while. Tell some more stories.”

“That'll be nice,” Dib said.

They grabbed snacks and drinks from out of Clag's house and spent the next few hours just relaxing outside and talking. Clag talked about his past and Zim and Dib shared stories of their own. The longer they talked, the more at ease Clag became, until eventually they had him smiling and laughing. It was nice seeing him so cheerful.

Talk then turned to Zim and Dib's eggs, along with the visit to the doctor they had a couple days ago.

“Everything looks good with the eggs so far,” Zim said. “And Dib and I were both cleared as healthy too. We both have birth control medicine now. Also, I asked about whether our smeets are going to need PAKs. They said yes but PAKs here aren't like the ones issued back on Irk. They have no connection to the Control Brains. They're pretty much just to regulate bodily systems since we've been engineered to be unable to survive without a PAK's signals. We'll be provided with two PAKs when the eggs are closer to hatching and will need to make sure we connect them as soon as the smeets are out of their shells. They'll get the usual information download of newborn smeets, but without all the propaganda. And there won't be any job-related designations. After that, we can give the smeets their names, they'll remember them, and we'll be parents!”

Clag nodded. “Makes sense. On Irk, eggs that begin hatching need to be taken to special facilities to be monitored and then the smeets get PAKs once they're out, at which point they're returned to the parents. Unless they're determined to be defective. Then they're taken.” He turned somber for a moment. “I was very worried about that happening.”

“That would be awful,” Dib said. “The whole concept of irkens being defective is sad, honestly. To be treated like some error, like something that needs to be deleted, just because you have some physical or mental issue... it's disgusting. Defects need understanding and care. They're people too.”

“Irk really is a horrible place,” Clag sighed. “I wonder if things will ever change there.”

“Maybe one day. I think really it depends on the Tallest, they're responsible for a lot of the general views of everyone else,” Zim pointed out.

“Yeah. Things were great under Miyuki's rule. It felt like defects were given more of a chance to prove themselves, they weren't just immediately considered dangerous. But nowadays it seems anyone who shows the slightest chance of being a problem is disposed of.”

“I'm probably to blame for that,” Zim mused. “They let me live. And look what happened. Two horrible painful overload days, widespread destruction on multiple planets, repeated humiliation for the military and the Tallest...”

“Yep and because of all that you were a household name,” Clag replied. “I have to say, I found the stories about you entertaining. Never thought I'd ever meet you. And that you'd turn out to be so nice.”

“Yeah, well, I finally learned how much better life is when you're nice to people.” Zim briefly snuggled with Dib, brushing their antennae together. “My past may not be very happy but I wouldn't change any of it. It all led to me meeting Dib. And I've never been happier.”

“I'm happy for you. Love is a beautiful thing. I wish the military drones weren't so discouraged from it.” Clag looked up at the sky. The clouds were growing more numerous; it would likely rain later. “Mm, looks like we're gonna get rain... I think we should head inside. You guys want to help me get this stuff back inside?”

They agreed and collected the photo frames from the table, carrying everything inside. The table itself would be fine so they left it. The pictures were moved to other surfaces around the house, Clag saying he would likely put them in a photo album later but for now it was comforting to look at them.

“The ceremony was a great idea, Dib,” Clag said. “Really, talking about my mate and eggs... it was hard, but I feel better. So thank you.”

“I'm glad it helped. Thanks for inviting us over.”

Zim nodded, checking on his eggs. They had been inside his shirt while moving stuff inside but now he moved them back into the crook of his arm, where he usually carried them. Then he looked at Clag. “Yes, it was a nice little ceremony. And if you ever need to talk, we're right next door.”

“Yeah. Thanks, again. And if either of you need anything, just ask.”

They hung out for a while longer before parting ways. Though Clag was feeling better, he also seemed a bit worn out from the day, so they decided to give him some space to think about things alone. Zim and Dib returned to their house, where they settled onto the couch together to relax, each of them holding an egg as they chatted.

“I think he's gonna be alright,” Dib said, referring to Clag.

Zim nodded. “Definitely. We're all going to be alright.”

“Mhm.” Dib looked at the egg he was holding, giving it a fond smile. “I can't wait until they hatch.”

“We have months to wait, unfortunately.”

“I know. Hopefully they pass quickly, though.”

Zim nodded in agreement. “Mhm.”

As months passed, Zim and Dib got more and more settled in with their new home. They better familiarized themselves with Venesian customs and laws and while much of it was strange compared to Irk, they got used to it. People were much friendlier on Venesia, they quickly learned. Much quicker to offer assistance or even just pause and chat.

Zim began attending classes at a local university so he could prepare for an eventual career, plus it was nice to just get out of the house for a while. He also enjoyed academic environments and was eager to learn new things. Most of the science was familiar to him but it was interesting seeing how Venesians described things.

The eggs were left with Dib while Zim was at his classes, and Dib was usually content to just hang out at home with them, watching TV or browsing the Internet. But sometimes he went for walks, enjoying the warm air and beautiful landscaping of the town.

On weekends they often visited the big mall that had been one of the factors in them moving to this particular area. Even if they didn't buy anything, they could spend hours just walking around looking at the various stores. Sometimes they would just sit down in the food court, have a meal, and people watch.

They also prepared for the hatching of their eggs, getting a room ready in their house, as the smeets would be independent enough to have their own room right away, though for the time being they would be sharing one. Eventually, once the two were older and would likely want privacy, one of them would be moved to a different room.

Zim and Dib set up small beds in the room, a dresser and toy box for each smeet, and a bookcase filled with various children's books. There were simple picture books and ones with short stories. The smeets would be able to read right away but one of them might still want to just look at pictures.

They also put glow in the dark stars up on the ceiling, figuring it was a simple but cute addition that the smeets would likely enjoy.

They made tweaks to the room all the way up until it was time for the eggs to hatch. And finally, the day arrived.

Dib was awoken on a weekend morning by Zim shaking his shoulder and saying, “Dib, Dib come here!”

“Hm?” Dib yawned and pushed himself up. Zim took his hand and pulled him from the bed, leading him over to the incubator.

“Look!” Zim said excitedly, reaching over the flick on the lights.

Dib blinked and then looked at the eggs. “What are... wait, did they roll?”

“Yes!” Zim pointed out the small red dots they had placed on each egg. They had used a harmless marker designed for the purpose, marking the eggs last night. Now the markings were in a completely different spot, indicating that the eggs had both moved. “They're moving!”

“Oh man!” Dib was immediately wide awake. “They were kinda shaking before I think but they're actually starting to roll around!”

“Yes! Yes, it might be today!”

Dib grinned and wrapped him into a hug, lifting him off the ground in his excitement. “They're hatching!”

“Haha, I haven't seen any cracks, but yes! It won't be long now!” Zim got down from Dib's arms and opened the incubator, gently taking the eggs out and bumping his forehead to each of them. “My precious little smeets, you're ready to come out, aren't you? Don't be shy, go ahead!”

The eggs shifted in his hands but there still weren't any cracks.

“Give them time,” Dib said. “The doctor said they may start moving like that a few days before hatching, so it might not even be today...”

“Maybe not, but I hope it is! I'm so ready to see them!”

“Me too.”

They kept the eggs very close to them for the rest of the day. The eggs seemed to move constantly, to the point that it didn't seem safe leaving them on any sort of flat surface. They were kept either in Zim and Dib's hands, in a pouch, or safely tucked up against their bodies while they laid or sat down.

Zim shot a text to Clag to let him know about the eggs moving around, which was met with a happy emoji. _Congrats! I'm sure they'll be hatching in no time._

 _I'll let you know as soon as they do, I want you to see them,_ Zim replied.

_That'll be nice, thank you._

Clag had settled in well too in the past months and had gotten the job at the factory he had wanted, working at the entry level for now while he trained, but due to his previous experience in manufacturing he was promised a fast promotion. The work kept him busy but not as much as when he lived on Irk, so he was quite happy.

By the time night fell, the eggs had begun showing a few hairline cracks. Zim fretted over it, holding them while pacing through the bedroom, while Dib climbed into bed.

“You can't rush them,” Dib said. “Why don't you just go ahead and come to bed? They'll hatch when they're ready.”

“I don't wanna miss anything, though! What if the cracks get bigger? What if they hatch while we're sleeping?”

“Then bring them to bed, they'll be fine.”

After a few moments, Zim agreed. He made sure the PAKs they had been given were right nearby, then got in bed. He pulled the covers up over himself and settled the eggs on top of them, between him and Dib. He rested an arm around them and leaned over to kiss Dib, telling him goodnight. But he kept his eyes open, watching the eggs continue to move, cracks spreading further.

Dib sleepily encouraged him to sleep too, saying he would need as much energy as he could get for when the smeets actually were out of their eggs. Zim chuckled and finally made himself close his eyes. He occasionally opened them to peek at the eggs, then would close them again. This repeated several times before he drifted off.

It was only a few hours later that Zim was abruptly awoken again. For a moment, he was confused as he checked on the eggs. The cracks were much larger now but otherwise the room was quiet and he wasn't sure what had woken him up. Then he heard it. Quiet yet high-pitched and desperate, it was like an alarm going off in his brain. The chirp of a smeet.

“Dib!” he shouted, but Dib was also awake, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

“Was that-”

A chirp came from the other egg. Zim perked up, starting to touch them, then stopping, as he had been told that smeets needed to hatch on their own. Instead he leaned down and chirped back. “I hear you! Come on, you can do it!”

“I'm gonna get the lights.” Dib hurried over to turn on the lights so they could see better, and also grabbed the PAKs and the tool that would activate them before returning to the bed and sitting down near the eggs.

They were both moving back and forth, scraping and cracking sounds coming from within them, and Zim and Dib waited anxiously for the smeets to free themselves.

The freckled egg seemed to be making progress faster than the solid one. A circle of cracks began forming on one side of the egg and then the shell began to bend outward. That smeet was chirping loudly now. Then a small hole was punctured through, barely big enough for the smeet to get a single claw through.

“That's it, yes, almost there!” Zim encouraged them. “Just one more big hit, come on!”

The smeet seemed to be taking a moment to breathe. Then they began clawing again at their shell and chipping at it with their egg tooth, before finally just driving their fists through and splitting the entire shell in half. Pushing shards aside, they tumbled out and onto the bed, wet with amniotic fluid and shivering.

“Oh!” Zim immediately lifted them, pulling them close to share body heat. “You did such a good job, here, let me clean you off...”

“The PAK,” Dib reminded him.

“Hold on, let me just...” Zim licked some of the fluid away and the smeet slowly grew still, eyes closed. He looked them over, noting that their light green skin had numerous dark freckles along their cheeks and shoulders. Their antennae were very curly in a way that reminded him of Babs. He quickly grew emotional. “Ohh you're so cute, my sweet little smeet...”

Dib moved closer to look at the smeet too, brightening at the sight of them. “They're adorable. But they're being so quiet... I think we need to put the PAK on. Now. They need the energy from it.”

“Right, right...” Zim sighed and got the PAK and activation tool. “I'm sorry, little one, this is going to sting...” He lined the PAK up to the proper spot on the smeet's back and then shocked it with the tool. Wires shot out and swiftly drilled into the spine, causing the smeet to jerk, but before they could even make a sound, the PAK had connected and flooded their system with painkiller.

“They're going to need a few moments to adjust,” Dib said. “In the meantime, I think the other should be making it out any moment now...”

Sure enough, the solid-colored egg had gained a large circle of cracks as well and that smeet was breaking chunks off.

“Just a little more, there you go!” Zim cheered. “You can do it!” Every time the smeet chirped, he chirped right back, reassuring them that he was right here.

Finally, with a well-placed bash from their egg tooth, the second smeet broke all the way through. The egg didn't fully break apart but there was a large enough gap that the smeet was able to climb through. They were trying to stand before they were even out, resulting in the egg breaking completely. Which made the smeet trip.

“Careful!” Zim caught them and helped them up, bringing them over to his lap with the first smeet. This one had slightly darker green skin than their sibling and no freckles. Their antennae, while also curly, only had a couple bends at the end, looking rather like a hook. Their eyes were closed too as they panted, catching their breath. Zim was quicker to attach the PAK to this smeet, wanting to get it over with.

The connection caused them to jump and then pass out, slumping over next to their equally unresponsive sibling.

Zim watched them worriedly and Dib said, “They'll be okay, they'll just be asleep while the PAKs finish connecting but they should be getting up any moment now...”

Sure enough, the freckled smeet opened their eyes, which were bright pink. They blinked a few times, wavering back and forth as they oriented themselves, then they softly and tentatively said, “Hello?” in an adorable voice.

Zim and Dib both beamed, saying hello in return and welcoming the smeet to life.

This was received well by the tiny smeet, who promptly hugged Zim's arm.

Then a dull chirp got the attention of all three and they looked at the second smeet, who had woken up and was opening their eyes too, their PAK spots glowing to indicate it was fully connected. Their eyes were scarlet. “Oh? H-hello?”

“Hi!” Zim quickly scooped them up, bringing them in to snuggle. “Welcome to life, irken child! Oh, I'm so happy to see you, both of you!” He held both smeets in front of his eyes, memorizing everything about them, sweeping his antennae against them to collect their scents. They scented him back, both smiling as they instinctively recognized who he was. Even so, he told them out loud. “I'm your dam, Zim. And this is your sire, Dib. We've waited for you for so long.”

When Dib leaned in, each smeet briefly took his face in their small hands so they could nuzzle him, their antennae darting against his face. When Dib began to cry, the two leaned back but quickly shouted with concern.

“Are you okay? Why are you crying?”

“Are you sad?”

“I'm not sad,” Dib assured them. “I'm just... just so happy to see you! To have a family, this is... this is what I've wanted for so long.”

“Come on Dib, don't cry, you're going to make me cry,” Zim said, eyes stinging.

“Too late, I'm crying, and so are you,” Dib replied.

“Ah, damn it...” Zim felt tears run down his cheeks as soon as he said that. He laughed though, heart just bursting with emotion as he cuddled the smeets, cleaning them off and praising them for how well they did with their hatching.

The two were quite modest about it and also admitted to hardly remembering it, as though it had happened in a dream. Their egg teeth had already fallen out and they kept eyeing the discarded shells hungrily, both complaining of hunger.

So despite it being the middle of the night, Zim and Dib got up and took the smeets to the kitchen for food. They also got them into some clothes, letting them pick what they wanted to wear from a selection of onesies. The scarlet-eyed smeet picked a red one while their sibling went for a purple one with blue star patterns.

Once the two were dressed and warm, they were given their first meals. Zim and Dib had bought an assortment of nutritious smeet food that looked like mush but was in fact very tasty, most of them fruit-based although some were made from vegetables. And once the smeets grew in more of their teeth they would be able to move to more solid foods.

The two weren't picky, quickly digging in. The scarlet-eyed smeet used the spoon they were given but the pink-eyed just used their hands. It was messy but so cute neither Zim nor Dib could bring themselves to make them stop.

Zim texted Clag to tell him the news about the smeets hatching and said he could bring them over in the morning, only for Clag to reply that he had work in the morning but he could see the smeets now. After some discussion with Dib, Zim agreed to that and then put his communicator away, continuing to watch the smeets.

“I suppose we should name you, huh?” he asked.

Mouths full, the two nodded.

“Dib and I have definitely thought of a lot of names,” Zim continued. “Now I guess we just need to choose.” He glanced at Dib. “What do you think?”

“I was wanting to see them before I settled on anything,” Dib said. “But well... I think I know what I want to name them. Something we both talked about.” He gave Zim a meaningful look and whispered the names to him.

Zim considered it, nodding slowly as he tested the names out, and noticing, the smeets loudly proclaimed their approval, the freckled one even banging their fist on the table a couple times in their enthusiasm.

Mind made up, Zim said, “They're perfect.”

Clag was tired when he answered his door but he noticeably brightened upon seeing the smeets. “Oh! Look at you, you're so cute!”

“They are,” Zim said proudly. “They hatched out with no problems, and you should have seen her, she busted through so fast...” He gave the freckled one a little shake. “And her sister didn't take much longer.”

“I'm glad to hear it. So, both girls, huh?”

“Yep, they both informed us of their genders after we named them.”

“What are their names?”

Zim looked at Dib, who smiled and nodded. Zim looked back at Clag and lifted the freckled smeet. “This is Tiza...” He lifted the other. “And this is Liza.”

For a few moments Clag was silent and Zim worried that they had made a serious misjudgment with the names. Then Clag burst into tears and quietly held his arms out for the smeets, who moved over to hug him. “They're perfect,” he said, sniffing.

“We wanted to honor your family,” Dib explained. “I know they could never replace the ones you lost, but they were named in memory of them. To pay respects to them.”

“We weren't sure at first,” Zim admitted. “We thought maybe it was too sentimental... maybe it was too soon and you'd be insulted...”

Clag shook his head, giving the smeets small smiles and then holding his arms out so they could go back to their parents. “No, it's not insulting, it's... it's very thoughtful. Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me.” He held his door open and stood inside. “Why don't you come in?”

“Oh we don't want to keep you up too late, you have work,” Dib said.

“It's fine, I don't need much sleep. Please, come in.”

So they went in, hanging out in the living room while the smeets played. They were both very energetic and their personalities were already emerging. Tiza was more forward and aggressive while Liza seemed to prefer avoiding attacks and running. Every time Tiza tried to initiate a wrestling match, she'd have to catch the other first.

“They look like they're good friends already,” Clag commented when Liza landed a bit too roughly on her front and Tiza helped her up, the two hugging before continuing to play fight.

“Yeah, they're getting along well,” Dib said.

“Litter mates usually form rivalries after a while though, and irkens are naturally competitive, so we'll see how long it takes for them to start fighting for real,” Clag said.

“If they do fight for real, my money's on Tiza,” Zim said.

Dib nudged him. “Come on, don't bet on one kid over the other, that's favoritism.”

“What? You know I'm right, she's fiery.”

Dib shook his head, laughing. Tiza, meanwhile, had managed to get her sister pinned while the other screeched for help. Dib decided to step in. “Okay, let her go now.”

Tiza let go and straightened up, putting on an innocent face. “We were just playing.”

“Excellent work, you'll be a marvelous fighter one day,” Zim praised.

Tiza beamed. Then Liza stood up and swept a foot into the back of Tiza's leg, knocking it out from under her and making her fall over. She hit the floor with a grunt and Liza put her hands on her hips, posing proudly.

Zim and Dib gave her impressed looks and Clag leaned over, muttering, “Keep your eyes on that one, she's clever.”

“Alright, come here, you two,” Zim said, holding out his arms. They hurried over and he lifted them up onto his lap, looking them over. They had a few small scratches from each other's claws but nothing serious. Even so, he began grooming them.

“Ew, ma!”

“Gross, quit it!”

Dib laughed at the disgusted faces the two made as their faces were licked off. “You'll be okay, he's just cleaning you. See, it's already over.”

Zim had finished and was instead just holding the two and nuzzling them. They wiped their faces off using their clothes and then nuzzled back.

“They're so cute,” Clag said. “Congrats again. You're going to be great parents.”

“Thanks, but honestly, I'm kinda nervous,” Dib admitted.

“That's normal. But you're going to do fine. You both are. Just ask for help if you need it, okay? I'm available.”

They thanked him and spent a little longer talking before deciding to leave and let Clag get back to sleep for the last few hours before he had to go to work. The smeets insisted on walking back to the house but as small as they were, even that brief trip tired them out. They were also still tired from hatching in the first place, so neither protested when they were picked up and taken to their bedroom.

“Get some sleep, alright?” Dib said as he tucked Liza in, while Zim took care of Tiza. “We'll come back in the morning.”

“Aw, do you have to leave?” she asked.

“It's just for the rest of the night, and we'll be in the room right over there if you need us. But you need to sleep now.”

“Ohh, fine,” she groaned, rolling over and burying her face in the pillow.

Dib went over to see how Zim was doing. Tiza was sitting up with her arms crossed, pouting. “I don't wanna sleep,” she said.

“It's only for a few hours,” Zim replied.

“I'm not tired.”

Dib wasn't sure whether he wanted to laugh or groan at how one of their smeets was already being difficult. “Come on, dear,” he tried to convince her. “At least just lay down and relax until morning.”

“I don't wanna, I wanna play.”

Dib sighed and Zim gave him a patient smile. “Go ahead and go to bed. I'll handle this.”

“You sure?”

“Yes. Go on.” Zim gestured for him to go. He did, though not without first giving each smeet a kiss goodnight. Then he left the room. Zim turned back to Tiza and climbed up onto the bed next to her, laying down and holding an arm out. “Why don't I sing you a lullaby?”

“It won't make me sleepy,” she declared, but moved to snuggle with him anyway.

“I wanna hear the lullaby,” Liza called.

“Then come over here,” Zim said. The other got up and scurried over, and Zim lowered a PAK leg down, scooping her up with it and plopping her onto the bed next to Tiza. Then he closed his eyes while trying to think of the best song. Finding one, he began humming.

Liza almost immediately relaxed against him, yawning. Tiza stayed upright though.

Zim slowly ran his fingers down her head, brushing her antennae back as he started singing. The song was slow and low, conjuring up images of warm beds and pleasant dreams, and it wasn't long before he heard Liza snoring. When he opened his eyes, he saw that Tiza was swaying to it but her eyes were narrowed stubbornly. She reminded him a lot of himself. He kept singing, his tone growing softer as the lyrics became more tender, and Tiza finally yawned.

“Just gonna close my eyes for a bit,” she said, laying down next to her sister, who cuddled with her. She dropped her head onto the other's shoulder, closing her eyes. After only a few more moments of Zim singing, she fell asleep.

Zim made sure he finished the song, wanting to be sure they were both out, before getting up. He pulled the covers over the two of them. “Goodnight.” He left the room, turning off the lights and closing the door.

He returned to Dib, stretching and tugging his shirt off before getting in bed.

“They're asleep,” he said.

“Wow, what'd you do, threaten them?” Dib teased.

“Haha, that was my second plan. No, I sang them a lullaby. Tiza was stubborn but it worked.”

“You sang to them? Aw, that's really sweet.”

“I didn't really expect it to work but I'm glad it did. Now we can get back to sleep.”

“Yeah. Hopefully they stay asleep until morning.” Dib laid down and Zim moved to nestle into his arms.

“I know we've been waiting for it, but it's hard to believe our smeets are finally here,” Zim said. “They're going to do great things. I just know it.”

“Of course they are. They're our kids.”

Zim purred, finding Dib's hand and holding it. “Is it too early to say I want more?”

“Yes.” Dib kissed him. “I think I'll want more later on. But right now, I feel like these two will be a handful. So let's just have them for now.”

“Fair enough. We can have more later, then. Once we've got the hang of things. But I think we're doing good so far.”

“They've only been hatched for a couple hours.”

“I know, but still. We've got this.”

“Yeah. We've got this.”

They talked about their smeets for a while, both already very proud of their young ones, and both fell asleep to thoughts of how happy they were to have a family. They were in a good place and their futures were bright.

Zim thought back to that huge mistake that had caused him to receive his reassignment in the first place. That had led to him meeting Dib, falling for him, and eventually making the choice to leave Irk with him.

With a smile and a silent thank you to the Control Brains for their decision, he drifted off to sleep in Dib's arms.


End file.
